


On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

by belncaz



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Airplanes, Humor, Implied Relationships, Kuroko-centric, M/M, Makeover, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-26 15:46:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5010523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belncaz/pseuds/belncaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keeping yourself entertained for a 12 hour flight is key; but with Kuroko, Seirin, the GoM, and other favorites all aboard the same flight bound to Europe for a championship game, the wisdom of joint-travel is being sorely tested by the athletes' efforts to alleviate their boredom. Non-canon, post-Winter Cup setting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke. Also posted on FFnet, same username.
> 
> Rating: T for silliness, mild suggestive content between characters of the same gender, characters behaving oddly, and abnormal plane configurations that shouldn't be thought about too closely.
> 
> This story will only chronicle the flight portion. There will be a companion story with the tournament itself, however that won't be posted until this one is completed.

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 1

Kuroko didn't know exactly how he had found himself in this situation but he was fully aware it was probably not going to end well for him. Every single member of the Generation of Miracles was on this plane, along with many of their teammates, and of course the Seirin team. They were on their way to an international championship in Europe so the flight was going to be a long one, and somehow he was squeezed in between Aomine and Kagami, in the middle seat of the middle row, both of whom looked as if they'd like to strangle each other right then and there.

"Why don't you sit with your own team Aomine?!" Kagami's question was a fair one, except this flight was completely full and Kuroko couldn't imagine anyone willingly trading seats to be among a crowd of rowdy basketball players. And it seemed all the other athletes were too amused at the seating arrangements to offer to trade anyway.

"I like this seat. You move if it bothers you so much!"

The two were practically seething with the urge to do bodily harm to the other and in the midst of a shoving match when one of them grabbed the arm rest, the button for Kuroko's seat was hit and suddenly Kuroko found his seat reclined and he was looking up into Kise's laughing golden eyes. "Hey Kurokocchi, having fun?"

"Not really, Kise-kun. They seem more agitated than usual." Kuroko's deadpan response was all the more adorable for his being upside down and his seatmates still arguing and insulting one another at an abnormally fast pace above him; apparently they hadn't yet noticed his change in alignment.

"Idiots. Sorry Kuroko, it looks like you're going to have a rough flight." This from Kasamatsu, who had the aisle seat behind Kagami and was to Kise's right.

Kuroko shifted his head to look at the Kaijo captain. "It's okay, Kasamatsu-san. I have a feeling this will be resolved soon."

A guffaw emerged from the person flanking Kise on the left-hand aisle, seated behind Aomine. It was Takao from Shutoko and he smiled easily down at Kuroko. "Do you have a plan, then?"

"He doesn't need one, idiot. He's fully aware the coaches can hear this foolishness." Midorima sat in the aisle seat across from Takao's, so they were separated by the walking space but still able to converse if they chose. Midorima sat perfectly straight in his seat with his lucky item of the day, a bedazzled elephant plush, in his lap. He was probably the only person in the whole world who could still manage to look aloof with such a cute quirk so prominently on display.

Midorima proved to be correct as Riko, the coach of the Seirin team, made her way toward them. It was nothing short of amazing to see the two powerful aces reduced to shame-faced teenagers by the rage of the young coach and a tenuous peace was established as all the players in their vicinity recognized her as a force to be reckoned with.

"Wow Kurokocchi…she's scary." Kise's voice piped up timidly from behind his former teammate.

"You have no idea!" chimed all the Seirin players collectively.

Kuroko smiled and settled back into his seat while listening to the announcements and safety regulations. There was a pointed reminder about ensuring the comfort and safety of those around you and to keep the seat belts fastened when the pilot had the appropriate light on.

They managed to wait until the plane was up in the air before another argument broke out, which was really quite longer than anyone had held out hope for, all things considered. It started when Aomine pulled out a gravure magazine and was idly flipping through it. Kagami looked over, then snorted rudely at seeing what the other teen was doing.

"I can't believe you read that trash, Aomine."

"At least I can read, Kagami."

"What're you talking about? That's just a picture book for adults!"

"At least you're ready to admit I'm more mature than you are!"

Kuroko's emotionless voice interjected "Aomine-kun's magazines help him relax. Don't judge, Kagami-kun, or I'll have to tell him about your guilty pleasure, too."

Kagami froze and immediately seemed to deflate in terms of both intensity and physical space. He looked beseechingly at his teammate, silently imploring him not to reveal the secret to Aomine.

Aomine's eyes lit up at the smaller teen's words and Kagami's reaction to them. He HAD to know whatever this secret was now!

"What is it, Tetsu? I bet Kagami here is into some really weird stuff. Is he a stamp collector? Is he really a cosplaying otaku? C'mon you have to tell me!" His voice was laughing but it was clear from his expression he didn't intend to let this go.

"Shut up Aomine! Look, uhm, Kuroko, what if I apologize? Will you keep quiet then?" Kagami's face had turned astonishingly red at the threat of his own secret being revealed, it was far better to eat a little humble pie than have the other ace know something like that.

Kuroko's peaceful blue eyes looked a little mischievous, but he agreed "I think that would be very nice of you, Kagami-kun, and of course in the spirit of your sincere apology I would keep your secret."

Kagami took a deep breath, turned to look at his rival and with evidence of genuine apology alongside fear of discovery clearly apparent in his tone, stated, "I shouldn't have antagonized you over the magazine. It was rude and Kuroko is right that it was wrong for me to judge. Please accept my apology."

Aomine was intrigued. What could Kagami be into that he would be willing to apologize to avoid having it revealed?

Kuroko nodded in satisfaction and said quietly, "See, with the right incentives we can get along!" but heard from behind him a teasing voice saying, "Now that's not fair, I want to know Kagamicchi's secret too!" And immediately after that Kise had reached through the spaces of the seat and began tickling Kuroko mercilessly, "If I remember correctly, Kurokocchi, you give up after just a little bit of incentive yourself!"

Kuroko was squirming in his seat trying to evade Kise but with his seatbelt fastened and being trapped between his two larger seatmates it meant he didn't have much room to maneuver. His face flushed lightly and he was quickly running out of air from his quiet, but constant giggles at the sensation.

Aomine, who had more experience with Kise's specially designed "Kuroko interrogation techniques" and knew them to be fairly successful, grinned at the silliness but was secretly waiting for Kuroko to break. Kagami, for his part was dumbfounded to see his shadow so relatively expressive and found himself blushing again as he watched Kise's hands move over Kuroko, here and there revealing some of his pale skin as Kuroko's shirt was dislodged by his struggles, and he began feeling heat build in his groin as Kuroko wriggled around in his seat. He should stop this, shouldn't he?

But Kasamatsu beat him to it by roughly slapping his ace's head and forcibly pulling him back from Kuroko. "Idiot. Remember you've got a brain, okay? Don't be so immature!" The Kaijo captain unfastened his seatbelt, stood and peered over the seat at the Seirin phantom. "Are you okay, Kuroko? I know he can be a bit much."

Kuroko was still trying to catch his breath but managed to gasp out his thanks to Kasmatsu. Unknowingly, however, his hoarsely offered gratitude combined with his disheveled appearance sent dirty fantasies spinning through the minds of several of the athletes surrounding him, although most of them would have rather died than admit how attractive they found Kuroko. It didn't stop any of them from experiencing a sudden tightening in their pants however and there were several uncomfortable shifts as nobody made eye contact with anyone else.

Although he sensed the sudden tension, Kuroko had no idea he was the cause of it. But he did know that after Kise's attack he needed something to drink and since the seatbelt light was off he could grab his water from his bag in the overhead bin. He decided he'd go visit some of the other players for a bit as well and hopefully when he came back everyone would have settled down. He made to stand up and slipped past Kagami, stretching to reach his bag and unaware of the picture he presented with his arms extended and arched body straining to reach his belongings. After extracting his water, he simply dropped his bag in his seat. "I'll put it back later" he offered with a cheerful smile and headed up the aisle.

Aomine watched Kagami's expression as the redhead watched Kuroko and he got an idea for how to tease him later. This was going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 2

Kuroko carefully walked up the aisle searching for people he knew. He saw Murasakibara sitting with Himuro and another Yosen player he believed was named Liu a few rows up. Kuroko was unsurprised to see a pile of discarded snack wrappers had already accumulated on the tray table in front of the purple haired athlete; Murasakibara was most likely equal parts hungry and bored. Kuroko sincerely hoped that Yosen had devoted at least one carry on bag to stashing a reserve of goodies for their snack-motivated giant if they didn't plan on buying out the entire supply of refreshments from the on-board store. Kuroko had terrifying memories of an incident from their Teiko days when the snacks had been accidentally overlooked for an away game. It had never happened again; in fact "Murasakibara's snacks" had earned a place of honor on the preparation checklist for _all_ games after that. He waved briefly, a gesture which they each returned, before he continued up the aisle.

Akashi hailed him from the exit row that was also the bulkhead; Kuroko wasn't going to speculate on how the teen managed to claim such a desirable seat for himself when there were many much larger players that would have cheerfully killed someone to sit there. He was sitting by the window with Imayoshi at the aisle and Mibuchi in between them. Wakamatsu, Sakurai, and Susa from Too filled in the middle row and on the other side of them sat Hanamiya, Hara, and Seto from Kirisaki Daichi on the left side of the aircraft; clearly this was one of the most dangerous rows on the entire plane. Kotaro sat behind Akashi with Mayuzumi and Nebuya as his seatmates, they acknowledged Kuroko indifferently, still not completely over their recent defeat at the Winter Cup.

Kuroko moved in front of the exit row to lean against the bulkhead for balance. He began addressing those around him, "Hello Akashi-kun, Mibuchi-san, Imayoshi-san. I hope your flight is going well so far?" They returned his greeting and commenced conversing with relative ease given the history between them all.

"Hello Kuroko-kun, I am sorry if Aomine is causing trouble for you. We heard your coach earlier. He's difficult to control but it sounded like she has things well in hand." Imayoshi's polite greeting hinted at his amused understanding of the seating arrangements Kuroko was contending with.

"It can't really be helped, Imayoshi-san. Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun have equally forceful personalities. I am hoping one or both of them will take a nap soon, it might improve their tempers."

"Are you suggesting they're cranky and need naps like toddlers?" This was from Mibuchi and his soft voice was clearly entertained by the idea.

Kuroko briefly considered the situation, "Yes, that might be the best way to understand it. They don't really bring out the best in each other outside of competitions, and being cooped up isn't going to help that."

"Hmm, and what are you going to do if Aomine decides you're his teddy bear again, Kuroko?" Akashi was referring to a rather uncomfortable episode from Teiko when Aomine had fallen asleep on the bus after a game and unconsciously snuggled with Kuroko as if the smaller athlete were a stuffed animal. Kuroko hadn't been strong enough to extract himself and everyone else had been too busy laughing to help him. Momoi-san had promised to obtain custody of all photographic evidence, but Kuroko hadn't held out any real hope she'd destroyed them. He had a rather sneaking suspicion that upon confiscating everyone's phone she'd merely forwarded the images to her own account before ostensibly deleting them from the others' phones.

"That is not very nice of you to bring up, Akashi-kun." The pout that adorned Kuroko's usually inexpressive face was surprisingly charming and several of the athletes nearby found themselves gaping at him in astonishment.

Wakamatsu leaned over to participate in their conversation; he was interested in any potential ammunition to use against the wayward power forward. "If it does happen again, please send Kagami up here to let us know."

Akashi merely smiled when Kuroko immediately denied any possibility of that happening. He didn't feel the need to tell Kuroko that Momoi hadn't had the courage to delete the photo from _his_ phone. If history did indeed repeat itself, he had no doubt that the image would be captured by many of the people on the plane whether Kuroko sent someone to alert them or not.

An unexpected bout of turbulence at that moment sent Kuroko off balance. He'd relaxed just enough that he couldn't stop himself from falling forward, but he did succeed in catching himself before he face planted into Mibuchi's lap. Instead he'd managed to brace himself using the armrests, but it still put them uncomfortably close to one another. Kuroko offered a soft apology and began to straighten when Mibuchi saw something distressing about the male in front of him.

"Kuroko-kun, why aren't you taking better care of yourself? Your lips are chapped! It happens so quickly to those of us with sensitive skin at high altitudes you know."

Kuroko's puzzled expression made the elegant player sigh with exasperation. Once Kuroko returned to leaning against the bulkhead, Mibuchi began rummaging in the bag he wore across his torso and started removing all kinds of vials and tubes that had somehow made it through security. He found what he was looking for and handed one to Kuroko who took it cautiously before reading the label "Whispered Kisses Lip Balm, Blushing Rose Pink." His eyebrows shot up and Kuroko shook his head while politely thanking the older teen for his concern and returning the product to its owner.

As if they'd discussed this ahead of time, Imayoshi, Mibuchi, and Akashi exchanged a gleeful glance and while the Too and Rakuzan captains each grabbed one of Kuroko's arms to pull the smaller teen forward and hold him still, Mibuchi quickly and expertly applied the gloss to the shocked Kuroko's lips. The shimmer looked especially fetching with the embarrassed flush that stained his cheeks and his tongue reflexively darted out in response to the unfamiliar sensation.

There was a pause as those around them took this in and several helpless giggles erupted at the picture Kuroko presented. It was Mayuzumi that surprisingly came to his rescue by reaching over and handing Kuroko one of the packets of hand-wipes that had been distributed earlier.

"I'd suggest a swift retreat, Kuroko, if you don't want a repeat of that. They're a little too pleased with themselves for you to get away with just removing it and staying here."

Kuroko thanked Mayuzumi for his help and after glaring at the three co-conspirators that were still chuckling madly, he left and headed toward the lavatory so he could repair the damage in peace. His mistake was forgetting that Mibuchi's bag contained other unknown beauty aids and that as Mayuzumi had mentioned, they'd found the incident entirely too entertaining to let Kuroko get away with denying them their fun so easily.

Three heads leaned in to plot all-out war on Kuroko in the form of an ambush-style makeover. Plans were made and if an occasional cackle was heard, then those around them knew better than to question or interfere. After all, international flights are murder if you don't plan accordingly, and none of them had earned a reputation of being a poor strategist. Akashi demonstrated a particularly ruthless brand of foresight by recruiting Momoi, who was only too happy to be included.

Mayuzumi sighed as he listened to what was in store for the other phantom player. He'd already done his good deed for the day, but he sure hoped Kuroko's misdirection worked in confined spaces or he was in for one hell of a surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 3

Kuroko entered the lavatory none the wiser to the plans being made for him. He grimaced as he took in his disheveled appearance reflected in the mirror; his hair was mused, his clothes were slightly wrinkled, and he definitely had to do something about his unnaturally pink lips. He ran his fingers through his hair but there was really no helping it without the ministrations of a brush. Kuroko was, however, able to smooth away most of the wrinkles from his clothing and he took a great deal of pleasure in wiping away the infernally shiny lip gloss.

It was unfortunate then, that after making the effort to repair the damage, he would so quickly be subjected to an indignity the likes of which he could barely fathom – the usurpation of his person to become a living, breathing, dress-up-doll for people he would have sworn even just thirty minutes ago would never do such a thing.

He carelessly opened the door, naturally sensing nothing amiss, and would have turned to go down the opposite aisle if several pairs of hands hadn't grabbed him to bear him off to the flight attendant preparatory area before he could so much as squeak a protest. Akashi wouldn't admit to anything, but he could be quite charming when he wanted to and he'd smoothly arranged access to the area using a mere fraction of the sizeable charisma at his disposal.

When Kuroko was released and took stock of the situation, he immediately noted that he was surrounded by three apparent madmen and he relied on years of instinct and training to try to escape. Unfortunately, Akashi's Emperor Eye was extremely useful in these situations and he easily blocked Kuroko's route.

It was Imayoshi, in a deceptively polite voice, who explained the situation at hand. "Kuroko-kun, you've got three choices. We couldn't decide which look would be best for you, so for your makeover you get to pick between a male model, a rebellious teen, or a dress."

Kuroko looked at each of their faces and gathered they did not appear to be joking. "I'd like to stay the way I am, thank you."

Mibuchi pouted at him before saying, "That's only because you don't know any better. You're the perfect canvas, Kuroko-kun and really any of these would suit you. If you don't have a preference then you might as well try all of them." He pointed to an array of mysterious looking powders, pastes, and gels, along with a veritable toolkit of torturous, mysterious objects that Kuroko had no names for that were all lined up with military precision on the counter. "We've got all the supplies ready, it's just a matter of deciding the order."

Momoi entered at that moment carrying a stack of garments, looking quite pleased with herself. "Which did he pick? I found outfits for each; we've got some interesting tastes aboard this plane, apparently. I won't ruin your innocence, but be warned that not everyone is as wholesome as they might appear."

"Thank you, Momoi. We appreciate your quick and diligent efforts. So far Kuroko has yet to choose, but Mibuchi raised the valid point that Kuroko should try all of them since he wasn't clearly drawn to one in particular." Akashi's voice was amused but he was clearly not letting Kuroko out of this.

"Let's start with the dress, then; it'll take the longest to transform with his hair and makeup." Momoi's decision caused Kuroko to look at her with betrayal clearly written across his face but she only stared back at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Kuroko didn't need to know she and Akashi had been rooting for this outfit, so by starting with it they ensured that even if he got away afterwards, their preferred look would be achieved. She removed the simply designed dress from her pile and held it up for all of them to see.

"Kuroko? You wouldn't by any chance be willing to just cooperate, would you?" Akashi's gentle inquiry would have been more reassuring if the understood alternate wasn't that he was getting in the dress by hook or by crook.

Kuroko made another desperate effort to sneak around them but with the addition of a fourth conspirator and the small space, he had no hope. If what followed resembled something out of a cartoon in terms of whirling clouds and clustered limbs flailing about as the devious athletes and ruthless manager implemented their plan, it should have come as no surprise to see Kuroko emerge from the fray looking quite dramatically altered from when he entered. If the situation had been different, Kuroko would have admired their teamwork and strategy, but something that made him happy in basketball was not particularly gratifying in this form.

He was undeniably lovely, and the adorable pout that graced his newly shaded lips caused all of them to smile. Momoi had borrowed a dress from Riko, her more slender form ensured there wouldn't be unattractive gaping at the chest like there would be if they'd used one of hers. It was a soft gauzy fabric that had elbow-length sleeves finished with small bows, and a skirt that would lightly flutter when the wearer moved. The black fabric had very faint lines of silvery-blue woven through, which complemented Kuroko's hair and eyes, along with highlighting his graceful movements. Momoi had instantly recognized the wisdom in Riko's decision for purchasing this dress because it would create the illusion of curves for those not naturally endowed with them - just perfect for Tetsu-kun!

They had tamed his hair with a combination of styling gel and a well-placed clip so that it was smooth and parted to the side. His eyes seemed even larger with the addition of a smoky-grey liner, some mascara, and a bare hint of eyeshadow. Mibuchi had vetoed heavy rouge ("No, Imayoshi-chan, we're not tarting Kuroko-kun up, we're going for elegance!"), instead just a light foundation and the faintest bit of blush had been applied. He looked for all the world as if he'd stepped out of a scene from the film noir of the 1920s.

"Tetsu-kun! Riko-san will be so jealous that she doesn't look as good as you do!"

Momoi's assessment aside, Kuroko felt completely ridiculous and he was concentrating on a strategy to retrieve his own clothing - Momoi had politely turned her back while the three males stripped their hapless victim and wrestled him into the dress - they couldn't let him ruin the lines of the dress with his own clothing underneath, now could they? Of course not. Although everyone was a little relieved that Kuroko had elected for a pair of boxer briefs that day and so they did manage to maintain at least a little bit of a boundary in this endeavor. Unfortunately Kuroko was thwarted as they had sequestered his regular clothing out of his reach. He either had to wait for them to give him his clothing back, or he'd have to borrow something. Who would have a change of clothes in their carry on? He felt maybe Takao or Sakurai, but the Too player was seated in close proximity to his tormentors so Kuroko would have to hope Takao would be able to come through for him.

Imayoshi emitted a wolf whistle in appreciation, Mibuchi simpered with pride, and Akashi offered a soft round of approving applause. And then, because really it would be no fun to end it there, they dramatically flung back the curtain and thrust Kuroko out into the aisle so he was visible to the others. Mibuchi cheerfully called after him, "Go strut that stuff, Kuroko-kun! We'll come find you in a little while for the next round."

He had but two thoughts to comfort him at that moment. The first was sheer gratitude that Momoi had somehow found ballet flats and they hadn't managed to stick him in heels. The second was that the transformation was so drastic and unexpected that initially nobody made the connection as to who he was, giving him the opportunity to flee. He felt sure he could borrow some clothing from Takao-kun until he could get his own garments back and that maybe Kagami-kun or Aomine-kun would protect him.

Kuroko started to move forward, but he could hear his unwelcomed fashion-squad still cackling in the prep room so he didn't kid himself that this was over without some serious divine intervention. And then, because he must have truly been an awful person at some point to deserve this kind of karma, he found himself a person of interest to Hanamiya, who simply saw an attractive young woman looking a little flustered and while she looked vaguely familiar, he couldn't place why.

The phantom player averted his eyes as he slipped past the Kirisaki Daiichi captain, who found himself unaccountably fascinated by the alluring young lady. Hanamiya pursed his lips thoughtfully as he watched the figure retreat slightly unsteadily down the aisle toward the section Seirin was seated in. That might prove problematic given their history, but he was willing to enter enemy territory to chat with the lovely person that had just passed him. He would give her a few minutes to retake her seat before following so he would know where she was located.

He didn't notice the identical gleams of maniacal humor that appeared in the three sets of eyes that watched from the confines of the erstwhile salon/changing room, and Momoi was too busy arranging things for the next transformation, but it appeared they might have done too convincing of a job on this first effort…

Mayuzumi looked over from his side of the plane and taking note of Kuroko's highly transformed figure and panicked retreat, he shrugged. It would appear that misdirection did indeed need more room than was available on the plane to work. Personally he was a little disappointed; he had hoped they would go with the male model look himself. Pity, that. But he acknowledged Kuroko made a surprisingly attractive female. Oh well, this was not his concern for the moment. Kuroko would have to sort it out on his own, and Mayuzumi was fairly confident he'd come up with something. With that in mind, the elder phantom returned to his book. They still had around 11 hours to go after all, a lot could happen in that time-frame and he really did want to finish this before they landed…


	4. Chapter 4

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 4

Kuroko managed to scamper back to his row without incident, but Aomine and Kagami had identical looks of confusion on their faces at this unexpectedly lovely arrival that stopped beside them. However the petite young lady was looking past them at Takao seated in the next row, merely bracing herself against Aomine's seat.

"Takao-kun, I need your help." There were numerous simultaneous head swivels as the familiar voice of Kuroko came from what many of them had presumed to be a woman. Kagami and Aomine froze in their seats, not quite able to process what had happened to their shadow.

Midorima's usually composed tones were noticeably disturbed as they all heard his uncertain "Kuroko…?" but Kise's "Kurokocchi…?" wasn't much better. Several others in the vicinity were giving decent impressions of goldfish at that moment as mouths opened and closed with no sound escaping and eyes widened to take in this definitely unforeseen transformation.

Takao was also taken aback but soon found himself helplessly giggling. "Kuroko? What happened?"

"Akashi-kun has gone insane." At this statement most of them tensed, reflexively imagining Akashi with his pre-Winter Cup disposition. "He teamed up with Imayoshi-san, Mibuchi-san, and Momoi-san for this. And they have two more looks they want me to do. But never mind that. Takao-kun, do you have any spare clothing in your carry-on? They won't return mine and I didn't pack any extra clothing in my carry-on but I'd really like to change out of this." Kuroko's deadpan explanation made it even more amusing.

Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose and paused briefly while his partner was still trying to get himself under control. "Kuroko, even if Takao does have clothing, you do realize it is unlikely to save you from further fashion experiments. Akashi may not be absolute anymore, but he's not someone to be taken lightly either, especially with such a formidable line up of assistants to help him."

Kuroko looked at his former teammate. "I know that, Midorima-kun. My hope is that Aomine-kun and Kagami-kun will protect me." Here he turned to look pleadingly at his former and current lights, but the effect was somewhat different than what he intended with his modified appearance. Even Aomine, who viewed Kuroko strictly in an affectionately platonic way but had been prepared to tease Kagami earlier, was having trouble remembering that those eyes were the same that held such tenacity while playing basketball.

"Uhm…Tetsu, Midorima has a point. Unless you're going to stay in your seat for the remainder of the flight there's not really much we can do. Even if we go with you if you do get up, well, it _is_ Akashi we're talking about and this isn't basketball, we don't have a lot of options."

"You look so pretty though, Kurokocchi! They did a great job!" Kise's comment was silently affirmed by most of those around them. Several phones were stealthily retrieved and switched to camera mode to capture this unexpected version of Kuroko in front of them. Kuroko was not pleased when he saw this, but given that he was in the process of asking for help, he had to put up with it for now.

Kuroko glared at the blond. "Kise-kun, I don't want to be pretty."

Takao finally managed to calm down enough to address Kuroko's initial inquiry. "I have a pair of pants that might fit you, but I didn't pack extra shirts in my carry-on."

"Why would you only pack pants, Takao?" Kasamatsu's question was genuinely puzzled – it didn't seem like a very smart move.

The point guard shrugged. "I packed more clothing in my suitcase, but I didn't exactly expect an emergency wardrobe change would be needed while in the air, now did I? The pants didn't fit in my bag so I stuffed them in the carry-on."

Kuroko sent a grateful look at his erstwhile rival. "Thank you, Takao-kun. It's a start." His next comment was directed at the general area, "Does anyone have a spare shirt? I don't care if it's too big, it'll still be better than this."

Now Kuroko was truly only interested in getting a more appropriate outfit as quickly as possible. He couldn't have known that his words had sent images of an oversized shirt falling off his shoulders and that a mental inventory was being conducted by several athletes nearby to consider if they had packed a shirt in their carry-on.

Kise, natural clotheshorse that he was, sprang into action. "I have some, Kurokocchi! And…" here Kise grabbed his bag which he'd stowed under the seat in front of him, "I've got them right here!" He opened the carrier and it was with no small amount of consternation that those near him saw Kise had amazingly efficient packing skills; what was in the bag could have filled a small closet.

Takao laughed at this display but good-naturedly got up and after Kuroko stepped back a little to allow him room, retrieved his case from overhead. "I don't have quite the selection of the model over there, but here you go." Takao removed a pair of pants and handed them to Kuroko.

Kise peered over, noting they were a slate gray color, rummaged quickly through his collection and extracted a soft gray shirt with contrasting charcoal vest and happily gave them to Kuroko. "It's too bad about the shoes…"

Kuroko shook his head "The shoes are the least of my worries, at least they're flats." He clutched the clothes as if his life depended on it and looked around hesitantly, but didn't see any of his tormentors. "I'm headed to the lavatory at the rear of the cabin to change. I'll be back soon. If you see any of them, please don't let them past here."

If there were some disappointed reactions to this statement, everyone kept them to themselves. Kuroko began making his way down the aisle with clothes in hand and was beyond relieved to find the toilet was unoccupied. He entered, locking the door and after catching sight of himself in the mirror, began for the second time that day wiping off unwanted makeup.

He had a bit more trouble when it came time to getting the actual dress off. The lavatory was a much smaller space than the area he'd been in for the transformation and he hadn't noticed there was a hook high on the neckline before this point. He finally managed, but it involved quite a lot of shimmying and twisting and no small amount of grunting. A few passengers that had been queuing outside were a little disconcerted, thinking that something of a quite different nature was taking place in there and they all elected to retreat and make use of the one at the front of the cabin.

After causing some additional thumps and bumps while Kuroko got into his borrowed clothes, the pants weren't too long; on Takao they would be suitable for tucking into boots so they hit just at the top of his feet and the shirt was designed to have rolled cuffs anyway; he was finally done. But between the harsh scrubbing he'd given his face to remove the makeup, and his exertions with changing clothes, his skin had reddened and he was short of breath. Combined with his messy hair after he'd tried to fluff it back from the gel's restraint; he definitely didn't look like he'd been up to anything remotely innocent in there.

He neatly folded the dress – he knew it was a borrowed item after all – and then he opened the door. Having learned his lesson from last time though, he poked his head out first. And he was taken aback to see Hanamiya leaning against the opposite partition. The Kirisaki Daiichi captain smirked as he took in Kuroko's appearance and particularly the folded dress in his hands.

"Well this looks like quite an interesting story, I'd love to hear it." Hanamiya wasted no time and quickly forced Kuroko back into the lavatory, squeezing in alongside and locking the door again. He was consequently blocking the only exit and Kuroko was squashed against the counter that held the sink. The olive-skinned player settled comfortably against the door, looking for all the world as if this was a perfectly natural situation to find oneself in. He cocked an eyebrow at Kuroko, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Kuroko was unable to find the right words and just stared helplessly at the other teen. Hanamiya chuckled darkly and leaned over, lightly running a finger over the dress in Kuroko's grasp. "Forgive me, but this seems rather more elegant than I'd give you credit for. And not quite to the taste, public or private, that I'd expect from you either. Yet I didn't see the lady leave ahead of you, so it must be you that I saw before. Please, I'm dying to know, what happened? You might as well tell me, I'm not letting you out until you do."

Seirin's phantom frowned at this. He could try to call Hanamiya's bluff; certainly the flight attendants would come eventually? Or one of his friends would notice he hadn't returned? Failing that, surely Akashi or one of his minions would come to drag him off for the next makeover? Well, on second thought, he didn't want to be rescued by anyone in that lineup, so perhaps he should just get this over with?

Kuroko hummed indecisively for a moment but finally gave in and explained the situation to Hanamiya. The other teen listened patiently, with an unreadable smile on his face the whole time. When Kuroko finished he leaned in again and spoke softly, "You should keep the dress; it does wonders for you. But then again…I quite like the state you're currently in as well. You definitely don't dress to proper advantage when left to your own devices. So here's my suggestion for what it's worth; just let them do the outfit changes, they'll get bored if you aren't resisting, and it'll be over all the more quickly and you can resume your flight in peace."

When Kuroko didn't immediately reply, but instead just looked skeptically at the Kirisaki Daiichi player, Hanamiya teasingly flicked him on the forehead. "Of course I'm not helping you for free. I'm expecting a show with the other outfits and if nothing else, I'm claiming a drink with you after we land. Who knew you could be so adorable? Luckily enough this whole insane tournament idea will let us have a lot of time to…what was that phrase? Ah yes, 'pursue new friendships,' right? I'll definitely see you later, but for now, safe travels." With that, and a decidedly wicked wink, Hanamiya exited the cubicle and shut the door behind him.

Kuroko exhaled tiredly and leaned back for a moment. What was wrong with everyone on this plane? Unfortunately, he forgot to be cautious this time and when he opened the door again, he was immediately confronted with four familiar faces. Apparently his defensive recruits had proved to be useless in the wake of this terrible quartet.

"Kuroko-kun, tired of the first look so soon? You should have said something." Somehow, Akashi's voice wasn't particularly reassuring for all the words were calmly stated.

He looked desperately around and saw Hanamiya looking gleefully back at him, but there was an expectant quality to his expression as well and as much as Kuroko didn't want to admit it, he was reasonably certain the other teen had been right about how to end this whole nightmare.

Oddly enough, Mibuchi offered a compromise. After examining Kuroko's current clothing, the Rakuzan shooting guard spoke up, "Sei-chan, what he's wearing right now is close to what we had picked out for him. Maybe we can combine the last two looks; nothing says the model has to be completely wholesome, right?"

Akashi looked thoughtful, Imayoshi looked ready to protest, and Momoi simply looked…ready. There was no doubt in Kuroko's mind that she was prepared to deploy any number of tactics in the name of accomplishing this hellish project.

Finally the redhead spoke. "I see no reason our modelling look couldn't blend the two. If, of course, Kuroko would be more willing to cooperate this time?"

Kuroko was not stupid; he knew this was the best deal he was going to get. "Yes, Akashi-kun. I would appreciate that."

Imayoshi frowned but knew he would be overruled in this, however he took heart that this most likely meant they'd get to go a bit more extreme with the makeup this time.

"Well then, Tetsu-kun, come on out of there. We've got a transformation to make happen!" Kuroko had never despised the bubbly tone of Momoi's voice before now, but he had to forcibly restrain his usually slow temper at the joy she was so obviously feeling.

"Ah, one moment if you please. The rest of you go on ahead, I need just a quick word with our prospective guinea pig and then we'll join you." Akashi's words weren't actually suggestions and they all knew it and the other three quickly departed to head back to their designated area. And so it was with no little surprise, and a great deal of resignation, that Kuroko found himself backed into the lavatory _again_ , this time with Akashi taking Hanamiya's place.

Akashi smiled gently at the stoic expression on Kuroko's face, but there was a noticeably sharp edge to it as well. "I would apologize that you're not having fun, however I am just a bit curious as to the accuracy of that observation given your appearance and the fact someone exited this cubicle before you. Tell me, Kuroko…is Hanamiya your type? I wouldn't have expected it of you."

Kuroko was one part amused by the similarity of those remarks to what Hanamiya had asked him, and another, much larger, part was intimidated by the intensity of Akashi's expression. He gulped slightly, "No, Akashi-kun. Hanamiya-san was just curious as to why I was wearing a dress before."

The redhead nodded slowly. "Indeed…but you were gone so long, we grew concerned." And here Akashi's eyes took on an unusual gleam that Kuroko didn't quite know how to decipher, before his expression notably lightened. "Well, no matter. Shall we join the others? I feel we must let Imayoshi have a greater say in this transformation, he was quite rooting for the model look as a stand-alone you know, he must be crushed we're combining it. So you'll be a good boy for this, won't you Kuroko?"

Although he found that a little disturbing, Kuroko nodded, he didn't really have any other options and he knew it. Akashi smiled again and with an elegant flourish more suited to a ballroom than an airplane lavatory, he opened the door and gestured for Kuroko to exit.

As Kuroko passed the row with Aomine and Kagami, the two power forwards waved weakly at him and had sheepish smiles on their faces. Kuroko sighed, but in the end he couldn't really blame them. He was however, quite peeved when Kise bounced enthusiastically along behind Akashi – "I _do_ have experience with this kind of thing after all! I want to help!"

When they returned to the preparatory area and Kuroko surveyed the waiting paraphernalia, he had serious misgivings and almost automatically started to pivot to escape but Kise cheerfully caught his arm and spun him back to the other handmaidens of Satan that were waiting to do god knew what this time.

Imayoshi's glasses were glinting even more conspicuously than usual and a purely evil smirk crossed his face. "Kuroko-kun, what are your thoughts about piercings?"

If the sound that escaped Kuroko at the moment resembled something like a squeal of terror, he could be forgiven. But the diabolical laughter that emanated from everyone else, well that was quite another thing altogether, even with Kise's reassurance they weren't really going to pierce him and it was just a magnet. Kuroko had but one thought at that moment, and it was decidedly unsportsmanlike. He would get them back for this, whether it took this flight, the tournament, or the return trip. There was only so much a person could be expected to take, and oh my god why were they coming at him with a choker and what the hell was that in Mibuchi's hand?

Meanwhile, Mayuzumi lazily checked his watch. He'd gathered from Kuroko's relatively willing return with the others that some compromise had been reached; he was interested to see the results. Kuroko had managed to escape for only around forty minutes, meaning they still had over ten hours, so there was still plenty of time for things to get exciting again.


	5. Chapter 5

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 5

Kuroko was exhausted, miserable, and not entirely certain how they'd managed to get him into this outfit even though he'd cooperated this time. He'd been shoved, tucked, and wrestled into the garments by sheer dint of will with several polite but firm variations of "beg your pardon, Kuroko-kun/Tetsu-kun/Kurokocchi" along the way. He plucked at the tight fabric despondently, and wondered what the hell kind of picture he made right then. He was in a black zippered shirt that had leather straps which wrapped around his biceps in lieu of regular sleeves, with alternating vinyl and leather patches across his collarbone and a few small spikes along the shoulders and front of the shirt.

The pants were the tightest he could ever remember wearing and he wasn't even sure he _could_ take them off by himself. They included a belt that angled across his hips but Kuroko could quite honestly attest to the fact it was completely ornamental as the pants' tight fabric was in no possible danger of slipping – but it had a shiny chrome buckle that drew rather too much attention toward his groin, in Kuroko's opinion at least, not that he'd been asked. The pants had zippers along the calves and tucked down into heavy black shoes with exaggerated buckles and laces. The fabric was also adorned with a series of complicated straps that had struck Kuroko as absurdly unnecessary but Momoi had assured him they were part of the look – a statement that both Mibuchi and Kise had backed up. The garments were all of high quality, this was no ordinary look they'd drawn up, and he looked like he should be posing for an haute-couture magazine's rendition of a punk rocker.

"Kuroko, I must say, this surpasses my expectations." Akashi's voice was unusually husky but there was still a noticeable element of humor at the sight of their usually so-reserved shadow player being decked out in a look that was better suited to a quite different personality. He'd definitely enjoyed seeing the dress, but he'd readily admit this outfit had its own appeal.

Momoi's perky contribution came next, "Tetsu-kun, it's perfect! We'll have to go shopping for more outfits like this."

"No, Momoi-san. Although I am pleased you are so happy, I must respectfully decline. This will not happen again." Kuroko's monotone reply hid his irritation, and Momoi focused instead on the aspect that he had just issued a challenge she was inclined to accept. After meeting Ki-chan's eyes, she saw she had at least one willing participant to get Tetsu-kun on a shopping trip. So she simply smiled at Tetsu-kun and didn't comment further.

"Eh, it is quite fetching, I must say. But don't you think we should have added some additional drama with at least some eyeshadow, lip liner, and maybe black or silver lipstick?" Imayoshi's query was plaintive, he really felt cheated in this whole deal – not only had they allowed Kuroko's escape-clothing to count as the model, but they'd unexpectedly relented on the makeup for this one as well.

"No, he doesn't need it," was the collective reply. And for one brief moment Kuroko felt a sense of relief.

Mibuchi's more critical eye took in the elements of hair and makeup; they'd even managed to paint Kuroko's nails and it had proven quite challenging given the occasional disturbance from the plane. Mibuchi had spent several minutes berating Kuroko's abysmal lack of basic hand and nail care and promised that when they landed he was going to hold a tutorial. Kuroko had politely thanked him for his concern but notably had not agreed to attend. Still, the black base coat with the silvery-blue glitter top coat had added just the right touch according to the conspirators; Kuroko was less impressed. Finally, Mibuchi nodded in approval, "You look so sweet, Tet-chan." Kuroko glowered at him – he didn't want to be considered sweet in the best of circumstances, and he certainly didn't feel that way at the moment.

Taking note of the obvious gloom on the phantom's face, Kise moved in close under the guise of adjusting something and whispered quietly, "You look great, Kurokocchi, but if this really bothers you, then I'll run interference for you and you can change, okay?"

Kuroko's head jerked up and he met Kise's eyes in astonishment. Kuroko was surprised by the expression he saw there, it was unusually serious and held some emotion he couldn't quite name.

Kise smiled gently, and somewhat sadly. "You know I'm crazy about Aominecchi, but he's not the only one that I have feelings for. I know you don't take my affection seriously, but I'd never want you to do something that made you really unhappy." He placed a soft kiss on Kuroko's cheek that the others couldn't see and then he visibly lightened his mood as he drew back and joined the other conspirators as they double-checked the overall effect of the transformation they'd wrought.

Kuroko was thrown off balance by this unexpected revelation from the blond – while he had utmost respect for Kise as an athlete, he truly hadn't thought anything of Kise's demonstrative behavior. He knew that Kise and Aomine had a somewhat tumultuous relationship but there was a strong bond between them born from their long history of fierce competition and admiration. In the weeks following the Winter Cup, with Aomine more relaxed, the pair had finally managed to reconcile and officially become a couple. His distraction over the thought that Kise might actually harbor some type of interest in him meant that the phantom didn't really pay attention as the devious quintet pulled back the curtain and he found himself revealed to the nearby rows without really processing it.

Conversations died off as the spectators gradually recognized Kuroko. Unlike the dress, which had disguised his figure to give the appearance of being curvy, the skintight clothing he was in now flattered his body in an unexpectedly effective way but left very little to the imagination. The wiry power of his frame was emphasized and it had negated his usual lack of presence; indeed, if anything he suddenly appeared to have a great deal of it. He'd been given thick, chunky bracelets for each wrist and a choker which fiendishly acted as the 'lock' on the shirt's zipper; along with a few fairly plain silver rings for both hands. They had indeed added a faux-earring; Kise had bashfully confessed that when he first started modelling he hadn't been brave enough to get a real one and had used something similar before he worked up the nerve for the real thing. They'd restyled his hair so that the natural spikes were more strategically grouped and a noticeable boost in volume had been achieved with one of the many implements of torture they'd had handy. Mibuchi had added contrast to these harsher elements by using an eyelash curler and some eyeliner to draw attention to Kuroko's eyes. Thankfully they'd vetoed Imayoshi's interest in even heavier makeup after the difficulty they'd had getting Kuroko into the pants; he'd earned some mercy for good behavior apparently.

Imayoshi called out playfully, "You really must go show everyone, Kuroko-kun. Why not treat the aisle like a catwalk?"

Kuroko glared at the Too player; there was no fucking way he would do such a thing. Akashi came over to him and in a silken voice laden with temptation offered something practically irresistible to the shaken teen, "Kuroko – if you do it, we'll give you back your clothes once you loop around." Kuroko realized then that Akashi had found the price of his soul and he didn't spend too much worrying over the low exchange rate; the important thing was if he could just get through this, he could go back to his seat in peace.

Knowing that Kuroko was going to do it, Kise giggled and offered advice, "Roll your hips, Kurokocchi!" It would seem the blond's brief bout of seriousness had ended.

Kuroko took a resigned breath, squared his shoulders, and then with the mental image of Kise's usual stride as his template, strutted down the aisle like it was the most natural thing in the world for him. Internally, though, he was holding on to his promise to himself to make all of them _very_ sorry they'd ever concocted this evil scheme.

The first row with the assorted collection from Rakuzan, Too, and Kirisaki Daiichi all perked up at his appearance. They'd known something was happening from the initial brainstorming and had been expecting another appearance from Kuroko after seeing him return with their respective teammates. Kuroko found himself the recipient of several interested stares and was blushing furiously.

As he passed the Kirisaki Daiichi contingent, he caught Hanamiya's eye. The captain had a distinctly riveted look as he took in Kuroko's new outfit. Hanamiya was thinking that when they landed and got settled into their hotel, he was absolutely kidnapping Seirin's phantom to go clubbing. He looked positively scrumptious and there was a hint in that ostensibly blank expression that told Hanamiya there was definitely something worth investigating.

The Shutoko players were mostly seated behind the Kirisaki Daiichi team, and Kuroko made a conscious effort not to look at them but he heard several curious comments. They hadn't made the connection to his appearance in the dress, but they certainly recognized him in this although they were hard-pressed to believe it. He saw his own team ahead, along with the stragglers of Shutoko – Midorima and Takao. Thankfully he wouldn't have to deal with that many others until he circled back around, when he'd have to slip past Rakuzan, Too, Yosen, and some of Kaijo.

As fate would have it - because really who can perfectly pull off a model's strut on their first try with the handicap of an airplane's turbulence? - Kuroko got distracted by the amazed looks he was receiving and was thrown off balance. It took only a moment's lack of concentration, but he stumbled when he reached Aomine's seat and the taller male automatically reached out to steady him. Unfortunately, though, Aomine's hand got caught in one of the various straps adorning the shadow's clothing and accidentally tugged Kuroko down into his lap. Normally this would just be a matter of politely excusing the accident and then standing back up, but it turns out that the unnecessary straps were useful for getting caught on other things and as Aomine and Kuroko tried to disentangle themselves, Aomine's leg went through one of the bands while another snared on the armrest. Soon, and quite without meaning to, the two athletes were inadvertently bound together with several different loops.

"Tetsu, stop moving! You're making it worse!" Aomine's voice was strained because even though it was Tetsu, he really hadn't been expecting to have a warm body suddenly wriggling around in his lap and he was not precisely in control of his reactions. The only thing that was saving him from really shocking Tetsu was the slight pain from getting poked with the spikes on his shirt, an unexpected thing to be grateful for it was true, but Aomine would take small favors at the moment.

Kuroko stopped obediently, but they were still caught and the tight confines on the seat didn't really allow them a lot of room to maneuver out of this. Kagami, who'd been watching this proceed with a kind of fascinated horror, started to reach over to help, but hesitated as he realized there wasn't really a safe way to approach the situation from this angle. Aomine, sensing Kagami's intentions, shot a glare at him. "Don't, Kagami." The redhead nodded and backed off.

They heard an annoyed sigh and amused giggle from behind them – Midorima and Takao had also been watching. The green haired teen got up from his seat, and knelt down in the aisle beside his former teammates. "Honestly, how can you two get yourselves into such trouble? Stay still while I fix this."

"We didn't do it on purpose." Aomine's reply held both embarrassment and apology – a rare combination from the supremely self-possessed athlete.

Kuroko looked at Midorima, "Thank you for your help Midorima-kun." With Midorima's lowered position, it was one of the few times that they were eye level. As he looked up at the shadow's words, Midorima was momentarily distracted by the thought that Kuroko had startlingly beautiful eyes, something he hadn't really noticed before. But he pushed the observation out of his mind and concentrated on disentangling Kuroko from Aomine.

Midorima carefully adjusted their various limbs and found the places where the fabric had wound around them. He painstakingly untangled each one and when he finished he straightened and reached out a hand to help Kuroko rise. The smaller male took it and was pulled flush against the green haired teen for a brief moment. Both of them apologized and immediately separated. But Midorima took the opportunity to examine Kuroko's appearance more closely before he resumed his seat.

"Whose brainchild was this look, Kuroko?"

"I'm not completely sure Midorima-kun, but I think Kise-kun and Mibuchi-san. Imayoshi-san wanted the model look, and since Akashi-kun and Momoi-san didn't argue for a third, I think they dreamed up the dress portion."

The bespectacled teen nodded. "It's…different. But it works, somehow."

Takao cackled, "Shin-chan, do you have a secret leather fetish? Please don't break my heart!"

"Idiot. Don't be ridiculous, Takao. There's no point denying the results of their labors were effective; clearly they did everything they could to ensure success. When one considers the limitations of the space, of course I am going to acknowledge such a victory." Midorima's tart rejoinder was meant to shut down the mirth in his teammate's voice, but it also reinforced the sheer pragmatism that accompanied the shooting guard's outlook on life – something that tended to get buried underneath the more easily noticed whimsy like his insistence on having his lucky items.

Takao's observant eyes took in Kuroko's appearance more seriously now that the entertaining moment was over and he had to agree with his teammate; it did somehow suit Kuroko. He'd really only seen his rival in the loose-fitting Seirin uniform, some baggy travelling clothes, and of course the memorable dress from earlier. He shot a look over at Kagami, who he could see through the partition in the seat and his eyes widened at the dumbstruck look on the redhead's face. It would seem Kagami was quite at a loss at this latest version, but if Takao wasn't mistaken, he looked…fascinated. Hmm, that would be something to keep in mind, then.

Now that his former shadow wasn't draped across him, Aomine took in the outfit more closely. He definitely saw his boyfriend's hand in this transformation and shook his head. Aomine coughed and then awkwardly offered, "Want me to punch Kise for you, Tetsu?"

Kuroko shook his head. "No, Kise-kun offered to help me escape. But Akashi-kun promised I could go back to normal clothes after I circled the plane, so it's almost over, anyway."

Aomine nodded. "Well, it's different. But you definitely aren't going unnoticed in that, so maybe you should keep it in mind as an option."

"Momoi-san has already threatened a shopping excursion and I declined."

The Too athlete nodded, "She would. But be careful, you know how sneaky and determined Satsuki can be."

Kuroko gestured to his current outfit before dryly replying, "Yes, I believe I have some understanding of her tenacity, Aomine-kun."

This comment earned several surprised laughs from those within hearing range – it was uncommon to witness Kuroko's sense of humor.

Kuroko sighed. "Well, I better get this over with. I still have to loop back up and then go down the other side." He received a general chorus of 'good lucks' and acknowledged them with a wave as he continued down the aisle. Hyuga, Kiyoshi, and Riko collectively gaped at him when he came into view. Kuroko winced but sped past before they could comment.

When he reached the lavatory, he gave serious consideration to just staying back there for the remainder of the flight. He was weighing what else they could possibly have in store for him but he trusted that Akashi was sincere in that they would return his clothes after he did this. So with that comforting thought in mind, he turned and went much more quickly up the aisle than he had down it. He was blissfully unaware of the attention he received as there were several focused stares on the superbly flattering fit the pants provided for his backside.

When he returned to the starting point, he shot dirty looks at all five of the masterminds, which sent them all into spasms of laughter. Ignoring it, because he was _so close_ to freedom now, he pivoted to go down the other aisle, back into catwalk-character to make absolutely sure Akashi didn't nitpick on his following the spirit of their deal.

Mayuzumi raised an eyebrow at the other phantom – he hadn't expected this, but it was…interesting.

Kuroko strode hurriedly past the next several rows and continued without incident until Murasakibara caught sight of him.

"Kuro-chin…?"

Kuroko hated it, but he wasn't rude enough to pass by when someone had directly hailed him. So he stopped and faced the tall Yosen player and his seatmates, "Hello Murasakibara-kun, Himuro-san, Liu-san. Are you having a good flight?"

Liu agreed but took this opportunity to get up and stretch his legs. He didn't know Kuroko very well and didn't want to be an inadvertent eavesdropper to their conversation.

Himuro nodded but when he replied he had a noticeable smile in his voice as he lazily surveyed Kuroko's appearance, "Hello Kuroko. It looks like you are certainly having a…memorable trip so far."

Kuroko nodded. "Yes, it would appear that some members of our delegation have too much time on their hands and this is the result."

Murasakibara was staring at him and some thought was clearly turning through his head. He beckoned his former teammate closer and Kuroko entered their row with much resignation.

"Kuro-chin…were you wearing a dress before?" His puzzled comment was unexpected; Kuroko didn't think this side of the plane had necessarily been able to see him. But then again, Murasakibara's height was not something to be underestimated.

"Ah…yes I was Murasakibara-kun."

The purple haired teen nodded in satisfaction of being right. "You looked pretty."

"Thank you, Murasakibara-kun. It was…an enlightening experience certainly, but it won't happen again." Unlike with Kise, Kuroko didn't snap in response to being called pretty by the purple-haired teen. There was simply no point, Murasakibara's thought process and reactions were too matter-of-fact for anything beyond an acknowledgment of his words.

"Why don't you sit down, Kuroko? You look like you need a break and Liu probably won't return for a while." Himuro's quiet offer of a brief moment of sanctuary was appealing and Murasakibara seconded it with an additional suggestion of a snack.

Kuroko smiled and seated himself between them after Himuro moved to the side to take Liu's abandoned seat, but declined the snack – he didn't want to mention this, but he wasn't entirely sure there was an iota of give in the pants and it was quite possible that even a modest treat would prove to be unwise. Himuro's and Murasakibara's calm, quiet presences were refreshing and Kuroko could feel himself regaining some sense of his internal peace. He wasn't truly angry about this whole thing, but it had worn him down a bit as he didn't like being the focus of so much attention. That didn't mean he was letting go of his plan for revenge, but he was aware of the humor of this experiment.

Kuroko started to yawn, caught himself and excused himself to his seatmates. Murasakibara shrugged, pulled up the armrest and gently tugged Kuroko to lean against him. "You can take a nap, Kuro-chin." Kuroko didn't even really have a chance to protest; he found himself snuggling against his former teammate and was asleep before he knew what happened.

Himuro exchanged a look of surprise with Murasakibara over Kuroko's head, "That was quick, he must be tired."

Murasakibara chuckled briefly, "He always falls asleep when traveling. Mine-chin does it, too. He won't stay out long."

The silver-eyed teen nodded and the two of them resumed their previous activities- Himuro was reading and Murasakibara eating – while Kuroko took a brief catnap. True to Murasakibara's prediction, Kuroko woke up about fifteen minutes later with a small sigh and blinked a few times as he took in his situation and straightened back in the seat.

He looked apologetically at his erstwhile human pillow, "Sorry Murasakibara-kun, I didn't mean to do that."

The Yosen center just gently ruffled his hair, but then frowned at the texture. "What did you do to your hair, Kuro-chin? I don't like it; it's not soft like that."

"Believe me, Murasakibara-kun, I don't like it either and I don't intend to make it permanent."

Murasakibara nodded, he didn't mind the rest of Kuro-chin's current look, but he liked messing with the other's hair and the style it currently held took away some of the fun.

Kuroko stretched a little and then realized he needed to quickly complete his assignment so he could return to his comfortable travelling clothes. He stood up and made to exit, but Himuro stopped him with a light touch to his arm and looked up at Kuroko, "I can guess what happened, and while it wasn't your idea, I would just like to say…I think I understand now why there's always been such interest surrounding you."

Kuroko looked down at Himuro in surprise and was taken aback to see the mild heat showing in the eye not covered by the older teen's bangs. Himuro offered him a mysterious smile and waved toward the aisle, "Go on, Kuroko. We'll catch up later." Kuroko scurried out and continued on his way, but he was shaken by the expression he'd seen on the other's face.

Murasakibara eyed his teammate speculatively, "Muro-chin…"

Himuro shook his head. "Sorry Atsushi, but nobody has an exclusive claim on him yet. We'll just have to wait to see when he finally understands the situation and who, if anyone, he picks." He paused thoughtfully before asking, "Does anyone even know if Kuroko prefers men…?"

Murasakibara didn't answer, they didn't really know, but there would be many facing disappointment if it turned out they had no hope whatsoever with the adorable yet oblivious athelete.

Kuroko was blushing furiously as he continued down the aisle- he was used to various people teasing him like that, though for the life of him he didn't understand what they found so funny about it – but he had absolutely not expected such behavior from someone like Himuro. Maybe Kagami had put him up to it? As Kuroko considered that possibility he relaxed, that was the most likely explanation.

Thankfully he got through the rest of Yosen and Kaijo's section without incident – most of them were asleep and even those that were still awake simply gaped at him without comment. He didn't meet Kagami's gaze when he passed him. When Kuroko finally reached the end, he spun around and again proceeded up the aisle with more speed than when he came down it.

He didn't look at the five people waiting for him this time, he just quietly asked for his clothing back. They sensed something was different this time and he was handed his clothing without further teasing. Akashi eyed him consideringly and nodded to the others, who took the hint and left, drawing the curtain behind them.

"Kuroko? Are you alright?" Akashi's voice was carefully blank but Kuroko knew he was prepared to listen or act as necessary.

"I'm fine, Akashi-kun, just tired." The monotone hid any real emotion; however Akashi had a great deal more experience reading the shadow than most others and so while he didn't press him, Akashi simply stood silently and observed him.

Kuroko began to attempt to undress and the fact he didn't ask Akashi to leave told the redhead more than anything else that something had indeed shaken him. He watched as Kuroko fumbled with the clothing and with a shrug went over to help. It had taken several of them to get Kuroko into the garments; it wasn't unreasonable to expect it would take at least two people to get him out of them.

Without speaking Akashi located the clasp of the choker that held the shirt closed and undid it. The shirt's fit loosened by the merest fraction and Kuroko felt instantly relieved. He got the zipper undone and began working on undoing the series of loops around his upper arm, but he couldn't really see them.

Akashi laughed softly at Kuroko's attempt to get the straps undone and stilled Kuroko's hands with his own, "Kuroko, unless you've been keeping a rather large secret from everyone, you definitely don't have the experience to get out of that on your own, let me help." And so Kuroko stood still but without looking at Akashi while the other efficiently completed the task and the shirt was soon gone. Akashi noted there were some slight red marks on his skin from the closures and he went over to the array of beauty supplies that Mibuchi had brought, he located a soothing moisturizer and started to hand it to Kuroko, who just shook his head in denial – the marks didn't hurt. Akashi nodded and replaced it on the small counter.

Then they got to the more awkward part, namely the pants. While Kuroko hadn't exactly enjoyed having the others around when he'd first been placed into this outfit, their absence now made it seem a far more intimate moment. And he didn't really know what to think about that except that he was sure he was only influenced by the others' teasing and that there wasn't really anything significant at all about this.

Still, Kuroko moved slightly away from Akashi and hesitantly unbuckled the belt and the fly closure. But he had forgotten about the zippers on his calves and so was surprised when Akashi knelt down in front of him. But the redhead simply untied the shoe laces, unbuckled their closures, and slid off the clunky shoes before unzipping the closures along the back of his legs. He looked up into Kuroko's face and smiled at the expression he saw, but he didn't tease Kuroko. Instead Akashi stood again and just waited.

When Kuroko just stood there, doing a remarkable imitation of a statue, Akashi raised an eyebrow. "Kuroko? We've all undressed in the locker room many times before, what makes this different?"

"I don't know, Akashi-kun." Kuroko's reply was honestly confused and Akashi smiled to hear it. He turned away to allow Kuroko some privacy but he wasn't surprised when after several minutes of unsuccessfully trying to wriggle out of the pants, Kuroko awkwardly asked for help.

Although he was amused, Akashi didn't comment on it and merely turned back around to move behind Kuroko. "Breathe in." When he did, Akashi slid his fingers into the waistband of the pants and took advantage of Kuroko's even sharper inhalation in response to the touch to create an opportunity to force them down a little. He moved over and began tugging down on one side while indicating Kuroko should do the same on the other.

They worked in silence until finally there was enough give that Kuroko could finish taking them off by himself. That didn't mean Kuroko's face wasn't flaming red though, as it had taken until they were down to his thighs to achieve this and he had somehow forgotten this indignity from earlier. Still, Kuroko eventually got them off, with a few soft curses that made Akashi smirk, and then he began putting his own clothes back on.

He felt so much more assured to be in his own familiar clothing. He turned to the counter with the makeup supplies and searched for the bottle that Mibuchi had told him would remove the eyeliner. After applying a small amount of the astringent liquid to one of the cotton swabs that had been thoughtfully laid out, he quickly, but not particularly gently, got the makeup off. Akashi continued to watch him but Kuroko ignored it, he was far more interested in being done.

He paused as he considered the nail polish – he knew it was supposed to be a different bottle that removed this, but he didn't quite remember which one it was. Akashi pointed it out and Kuroko nodded in thanks. The process went fairly smoothly, but he wrinkled his nose at the chemical's harsh smell. He couldn't do a whole lot with his hair, but he vigorously brushed it to try and counter the effects of the gel and eventually it released most of the hold to fall into a more natural style. Finally he removed the bracelets and rings and even the faux-earring.

"Better?" Akashi's question was teasing, but it was sincere as well.

Kuroko nodded. "I'm sorry to cause any worry."

Akashi shook his head. "We didn't mean for it to be truly burdensome, Kuroko, so if anything I apologize on all of our behalves."

The other male smiled in response, more than ready to put it behind him…for now at least. "It's nothing to worry about, Akashi-kun. But I am glad it is over."

A tiny laugh escaped Akashi at this. "Kuroko…the makeover might be finished, but nothing else about this is over. I'd imagine that is in part why you came back with that shocked look on your face, hmm? I never did understand why you thought all of us were only teasing you when we tried to get your attention. But maybe you have a better idea of it now?"

Kuroko looked at Akashi in astonishment, and it only increased as the redhead shook his head in fond exasperation. "Kuroko, you're truly hopeless." Akashi came over and like Kise had earlier, softly kissed his cheek. "We'll talk about it later." He shook his head again at Kuroko's expression but left without any further comment.

After Akashi left, Momoi and Mibuchi peeked in. "Everything okay?" When Kuroko nodded, they came in and began packing up the various supplies. Kuroko started to help but they shooed him away and he didn't protest – he didn't really know what it all was in the first place, let alone how to properly store it. Momoi called after him that she'd already returned Kise's and Takao's clothes; he nodded in acknowledgement but he hadn't even remembered it was a concern really.

When Kuroko came out of the curtained room he was back to his normal, unassuming appearance. Despite that, it seemed several people took note of his cautious progress down the aisle.

Mayuzumi in particular looked at his departing rival thoughtfully. When Kuroko had come back up the aisle this time, Imayoshi and Mibuchi had returned to their seats without Akashi and remained there until Mibuchi had seen Akashi leave. Akashi's expression was difficult to read as he made his way to his seat, he looked both triumphant and amused, which wasn't that unusual in and of itself, but the context was odd. Kuroko looked shell-shocked, well beyond what should be caused by the trial of a makeover no matter how…unusual it had been. Perhaps Akashi had stolen a march on the competition?

The Rakuzan phantom looked at his watch. This time about an hour and a half had passed from Kuroko's return, the makeover and his catwalk, to his presumed intention to go back to his seat. They had just over eight and a half hours left. It had not escaped Mayuzumi's attention that Kuroko's transformations had earned him some additional admirers. It would certainly bear watching to see how the race developed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and welcome to chapter 6 :)  
> I hope you like it!

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 6

Kuroko was unsettled enough that he almost couldn't see the space in front of him as he walked back toward his seat; his steps were more automatic than anything else. He certainly didn't pay any attention to anyone he passed, but given that his expression was usually so difficult to read anyway, nobody really noticed anything was wrong. He was contemplating Akashi's words and as much as he tossed them around in his head, he couldn't quite accept them to be true.

When he got back to his row, Aomine stood up to allow him to slip past into his seat. Kagami had watched him make his way back down the aisle and was simultaneously incredibly relieved and strangely disappointed that Kuroko didn't have another makeover in place this time. He was, however, concerned as he sensed there was something…off…with his teammate. Kuroko wasn't the most demonstrative of people in the first place, but he seemed even less communicative than usual.

After a brief exchange of greetings, both Aomine and Kagami apologized for not being able to help Kuroko earlier. Kuroko gave them a distracted smile and shook his head. "I know Akashi-kun is difficult to thwart."

There was some good-natured teasing from them as well as from others in the vicinity about their respective favorites of his transformations. He acknowledged these comments with a shrug and soon everyone settled back into their respective activities.

Kagami debated with himself for a few minutes, before he caved to his curiosity and he turned to more fully face Kuroko. "What's wrong, Kuroko? You seem more quiet than usual."

Aomine's eyes flickered over at hearing this. On the one hand, he was surprised that Kagami had noticed, and also that he'd asked. Personally, he'd have waited until Tetsu brought up whatever was bothering him, but he'd already seen that Kagami tended to rush into things without thinking it through. Even so, he was also interested in knowing what seemed to be weighing down his former shadow and so he prepared to shamelessly eavesdrop. Well, it wasn't like he had much choice about it anyway.

Kuroko worried his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment before answering, in a roundabout way. "Kagami-kun, did you put Himuro-san up to teasing me by pretending I'm his type?" His question was slightly louder than he anticipated and was clearly heard by those around him.

It was not Kuroko's intention, but the consequences of this question set off a truly awe-inspiring chain of events. Aomine glared daggers at Kagami, who for his part began sputtering out a protest that he'd done no such thing. Kise, who'd returned to his seat behind Kuroko, was quite happily contemplating ways to dismember Himuro. Kasamatsu eyed his normally upbeat small forward with some reservation – the gleefully malicious aura that was surrounding the blond in response to Kuroko's query was unexpected to say the least.

Takao, who'd also heard Kuroko's question, was trying madly to restrain himself from laughing as he took in these reactions. He shifted to share the joke with Midorima, but the coolly murderous expression on the normally aloof shooting guard's face gave even Takao pause. Apparently Shin-chan was not amused.

But then Aomine took note of the genuine confusion on Kuroko's face and forced himself to calm down, though not before sending Kagami a look that clearly promised to take this up with him at a later time. "What do you mean by that, Tetsu?"

Kuroko turned his head to look at his former partner. "I know it is some sort of long-standing joke for the others to feign interest in me. While I don't understand the joke, I have that problem with most things people find humorous, so I don't really pay it any mind. However, Himuro-san didn't strike me as someone to participate, so I figured he must have done so at Kagami-kun's request. It just confuses me as to why this is still funny."

There was an exceptionally tense silence for a moment as those around him were confronted with the realization that Kuroko truly hadn't understood that people were sincerely interested in him. There had been fierce debate on the issue, with some insisting he knew but just either wasn't ready to declare his own feelings or he simply didn't return their interest, while others argued that Kuroko was oblivious to anything that wasn't basketball or a novel. Whatever the reason, the result was the same as nobody had really been ready to break the fragile balance by trying to force a more direct encounter with Kuroko.

Behind them, Takao abruptly cleared his throat and stood up, moving up a row and turning to look directly at Kuroko. "Tet-chan, why don't you come with me for a minute? I'll explain some things to you and I think Aomine and Kagami would like to clarify Himuro's…ah…sense of humor…before they continue this discussion with you."

As Kuroko made his way to join Takao in the aisle, Takao found himself the recipient of several warning glares and he laughed as he held up his hands. "Relax everybody. He's definitely not my type. But I'll take good care of him nonetheless." He smiled at Kuroko's bewildered expression and then looked at those still seated.

"I'm budgeting about 20 minutes for this. Make sure you use the time productively because I'm guessing he is going to have some questions when we come back." With that and a jaunty wave, he proceeded to the rear of the cabin, indicating Kuroko should follow him. Kuroko took in the expressions of the others and shrugged at what he saw there, but obediently took off after Takao.

Once Takao and Kuroko had cleared a few rows, Kagami found himself staring at the collective anger of Aomine, Midorima, and Kise; the Shutoko and Kaijo players had moved to the aisle and were focusing their attention his way in a manner that didn't look particularly friendly. Nor in fact did Aomine's casually bloodthirsty expression as he surveyed his seatmate.

"Kagamicchi, care to explain what that was about?" Kise's tone was bright, but it held a cold edge that one would be foolish to underestimate.

Kagami inadvertently gulped before hurriedly laying out his case. "I honestly don't know! Tatsuya's never mentioned he might like Kuroko before and I certainly didn't encourage it. I guess he must have said something during Kuroko's last makeover? But he's…well…he's not really tied down to one specific gender. Tatsuya's a little…flexible…with his dating preferences."

Aomine's nod of faux-understanding would have been a lot more comforting if his eyes weren't still so hostile. "I know you're interested in him, Kagami, but Tetsu's…different. You can't expect him to pick up on the clues you've been tossing out – not that they would have been subtle to anyone  _except_  Tetsu. I think he's always assumed that because he was the shadow rather than the light that any attempts at flirting were jokes. Which given his abysmal sense of humor makes the whole thing worse."

If anyone was surprised by this unexpectedly insightful commentary from Aomine, they kept it to themselves. He had been Kuroko's closest friend at Teiko after all, and once they'd reconciled at the Winter Cup, they'd begun hanging out again. Aomine was also the only one of the Miracles that didn't particularly want to get into Kuroko's pants (although he might be coerced into admitting that seeing Tetsu in the various outfits today had made him aware of Tetsu's potential in a completely different way), so he had a more objective understanding of how the competition had been sketched out so far. It was something he and Kise had had to have a serious conversation about before deciding to make their own relationship official – Aomine wasn't about to set himself up for either a threesome with his ex-shadow or be tossed over for him if Kuroko ever decided he liked Kise.

Midorima's glasses were glinting from the cabin's lighting and the slight obstruction of his eyes was a little intimidating. "If you didn't encourage Himuro to tease Kuroko, then we'll need to have a chat with him about his intentions another time. Unfortunately we can't trust that Murasakibara would have already handled it satisfactorily. For now…I think it is time we had a quick conversation about  _your_  interest in Kuroko."

Kagami wasn't noted for cowardice, but he still couldn't quite suppress the sense of dread that took hold of him as he looked at their assembled ferocity. It would seem that whatever rivalry remained on the court wasn't applicable in this setting. They were showing a rather united front in fact, and Kagami wasn't above admitting he felt outgunned.

What followed was an incredibly invasive interrogation that had Kagami feeling like he'd been run over by a bus. But it ended with Kuroko's former teammates accepting that Kagami's interest was genuine and that he wasn't going to pressure the semi-oblivious Kuroko into anything. They all agreed they needed to wait to see how Kuroko reacted to Takao's debriefing. Midorima waved off their curious questions about Takao's intervention.

"Takao's surprisingly good at this type of thing."

And so they returned to their seats and considered what Kuroko and Takao might be discussing. They were less than excited to contemplate what they might encounter from Kuroko on his return.

-Meanwhile…at the rear of the cabin…-

Takao and Kuroko were standing across from each other, their backs braced against their respective walls in the small hallway created by the closets and lavatories. Takao had crossed arms across his chest and he was looking at his rival with a great deal of speculation and curiosity. Kuroko was patiently waiting for Takao to begin speaking, but his expression was unusually glum. Takao sent him an encouraging smile before he spoke.

"Tet-chan, what happened to make you ask Kagami that question?"

Kuroko sighed uncomfortably. He really didn't want to tell Takao about the latest in this string of embarrassing incidents. Yet he also wanted to know what Takao had wanted to explain to him, so he figured it was a fair trade. He quickly recounted the tale starting from Kise's small confession through his visit with Murasakibara and Himuro, and finally with Akashi's strange comments. Takao listened without interruption, his perceptive eyes noting Kuroko's expressions and posture as he explained what had transpired.

When he was done, Takao nodded his head. "Oh Tet-chan, you're a bit like Shin-chan you know. The both of you have such trouble seeing romance in the world; it would be heartbreaking if it wasn't so cute. In any case, the short of it is that many people in our peer group have taken a fancy to you. That includes Kagami, by the way. He was practically drooling seeing you in those outfits today. What you've long considered to be simply a joke is indeed a form of teasing. But it's flirting, not humor. You need to know the difference for everyone's sake, including your own."

Kuroko's eyes widened and he stared at Takao in disbelief. "You mean…" he couldn't find the words right away.

Takao went for brutal efficiency to make sure Kuruoko understood. "That they want to snap you up, take you to bed and shag your brains out for an indefinite, possibly permanent, period of time? Yes, that's about the size of it. Well," he paused thoughtfully, "I'm sure they'd allow breaks for food and basketball. They're not complete monsters after all."

Kuroko squeaked, he actually squeaked. And it was beyond adorable. Takao could see the panic rising in the other's eyes as clearly as if there were an emotional thermometer next to his face. He laughed, but it wasn't unkind, before offering, "Relax, Tet-chan. You've made it this far with your virtue intact. From what Shin-chan let slip once, they seem to have agreed nobody gets to make a more aggressive move on you yet. I don't know what changed, but at the very least I think it's safe to say Himuro wasn't being disingenuous; you've got another admirer you lucky bastard."

The blankness of Kuroko's stare was different from usual – this was less his usual calm personality and more his inability to process what Takao was saying. Takao started to feel a slight twinge of pity for the other male; maybe he should have broken the news a little more gently?

Kuroko exhaled quietly. "Takao-kun, what should I do?"

Takao tilted his head and considered the question for a moment. In other circumstances he might have been tempted to poke fun at his rival, but he refrained when he took in the earnest expression on Kuroko's face. "Are you asking how to pick one of them? I suppose everyone has a different selection process, Tet-chan. It'll depend what you want in a partner. But it's pretty clear you didn't understand some of these interactions were a bit more loaded if you thought they were only teasing you. It doesn't sound like you're ready to revise your view of them altogether to the point of picking someone to date though. Are you even interested in men, Tet-chan? Just because they're interested in you doesn't mean you have to like any of them you know."

Kuroko shrugged. "I'm not sure what to make of this. I don't…" He trailed off, looking a little lost, but it didn't escape Takao's notice that Kuroko had neither denied nor confirmed his preferences.

"I don't think you have to decide anything right now, Tet-chan. They've waited this long, and honestly you've had a lot thrown at you today. For now, do you want to go back and ask Kagami about Himuro again?"

The denial in the emphatic shake of blue hair was a little amusing but it also made Takao worry a bit for Kuroko. They were in fairly confined quarters after all; it wasn't like he could avoid them forever. When Takao expressed this view, Kuroko nodded in acknowledgment.

"I'm going to go back, but I don't want to talk about this with them right now. I just want to get through the flight, go to the hotel, play in the tournament, and go back home. Preferably without anything else weird happening."

A small grin crossed Takao's face. "Well Tet-chan, I hate to say it, but Shin-chan mentioned that Aquarius is dead last in the Oha Asa ranking today. And given that it's still 'today' with our time zone changes, well…I wouldn't hold my breath on the hope that there won't be anything else weird happening. You somehow seem to bring it out in everyone."

Kuroko closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall for a moment. "Takao-kun, do you ever secretly hope that Oha Asa will get cancelled?"

"All the time, Tet-chan. All the time."

After a quick smile was exchanged between them, they made their way back to their seats. The atmosphere was a little unsettled and it didn't take an incredibly sharp mind to understand they were all feeling awkward.

Kuroko broke the silence first, but he didn't meet Kagami's gaze. "I understand that Himuro-san probably wasn't joking. I apologize for thinking you would do something like that, Kagami-kun."

Just when Kagami was silently cheering that he'd been handed the luckiest break ever, Takao mischievously piped up from behind. "Don't worry, Kagami, I fixed it for you – he knows you like him now." Takao wasn't terribly surprised when both Kise and Midorima shot him death glares, he just grinned in response – wasn't this getting fun?

It was with some relief, then, that they heard the announcement chime and a soothing voice informed them that the lights would be dimmed for the in-flight movie. Kuroko and Kagami were both grateful for the excuse to avoid looking at each other as they turned their attention to the monitors. Only to be confronted with the movie summary: "Arthouse film about a young man's sexual awakening and journey to find love following encounters with several charismatic men. Viewer discretion advised for adult themes."

The quiet but heartfelt "oh fuck" that Kagami uttered was a sentiment they all shared. Even Takao was flabbergasted and couldn't believe the timing. He could see Kuroko sliding further down into his seat and he didn't have to stretch his imagination too far to guess that Kuroko was probably blushing fiercely enough to do a fair impression of a tomato. Oha Asa hadn't been kidding – it absolutely sucked to be an Aquarius today.

Toward the front of the cabin, Akashi's eyes gleamed as he took in the film's title and summary, he'd seen it before. It was actually a very tasteful and artistic film – this synopsis was far more provocative than the actual story itself. One of his father's many subsidiary companies had produced it, in fact. But as he drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the armrest, he hoped that none of the others got any bright ideas from the movie. He would hate to ruin their newly restored friendship over something minor like…irreversible fatalities.

As if he could read Akashi's thoughts, Mayuzumi chuckled briefly. It would seem fate had decided to blithely disregard the fact this plane was filled with many young men who would be…interested…in this type of movie. Or perhaps it was  _because_  they were all on this plane that it had turned out this way, who knows. But he did think it was rather too bad that Kuroko wouldn't be watching the movie with Akashi. He was consoled with the knowledge that at least Kuroko was sitting with Kagami – that was nearly as entertaining a prospect to consider. He took note of the film's run time – they had around ninety minutes to get through with the movie, which would leave them with just under seven hours after it was over. He was looking forward to seeing the results.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 7, I hope you like it! (ah, sorry that it has taken a while, the past few months have been a little crazy – I hope to get back to a more consistent updating schedule soon)

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 7

* * *

 

The movie proved to be absolute hell for almost everyone. While it hadn't turned out to be exceptionally explicit, it was just suggestive enough that there were several tense moments. The production company had taken the basic plot of a romantic comedy and turned into a boys' love harem film. But tastefully so, the film was practically reeking with its deliberate message that This Is Absolutely Not Pornography – It Is ART.

Even with the stunning cinematography and clever dialogue, the amazing soundtrack, and the skilled performances of the actors, what the film ultimately boiled down to was one point five hours of watching several large attractive men chase, catch, and lose, a smaller, but no less attractive male – and then attempt to repeat and gain the advantage. It wasn't the worst thing ever. Unless you happened to be in the company of a plane packed with charismatic, hormonal, and romantically challenged teenagers that were finding the film unduly compelling.

For starters, it turned out that the quiet that presided over most of the plane was not because people were sleeping, but were rather keeping their attention directed toward the film with nearly fervent fascination. The air in the cabin seemed heavy despite their elevation and there was an almost unbearable strain as it became clear they could match up the actors with various people on board.

The story itself wasn't all that original. It fell to the actors' skill and the thousands of layers of directing, artistic manipulation, and editing to truly capture something special. And perhaps, the sense of having their very own version playing out in real life as events unfolded around them with an uncanny similarity, was encouraging a particularly close watching. If nothing else, some people were taking notes about the relative successes or failures of their onscreen counterpart.

Although Aomine tried to avoid it, out of some kind of spellbound horror he kept shooting looks at his ex-shadow to see his reactions. Kuroko's face stayed carefully blank for most of the movie, but it was not the natural emotionless expression he usually pulled off – it was clear he was desperately trying to act like this was all perfectly normal. He failed spectacularly the first time his on-screen character was kissed – a forceful but calculated maneuver that occurred when the villain was deliberately attempting to provoke his rival. Aomine could see Kuroko's eyes widen and the smaller male bit his lips, but he seemed to brace himself after that and was able to, more or less, keep his composure.

Kagami, for his part, kept his eyes glued to the screen as if his life depended on it. His cheeks were stained an unflattering shade of red and his rigid posture was an obvious sign he was uncomfortable. At one moment in the film, when the main character's best friend unexpectedly turned out to have romantic feelings for the protagonist, Kagami abruptly excused himself. He returned about ten minutes later looking only slightly calmer, but even Takao refrained from commenting on his reappearance. Kuroko had shot a tentative glance after his friend when he'd left…and then studiously kept his attention facing forward when he'd returned.

Nobody dared to breathe when the scene showed the main character shyly asking one of the eventual suitors for his hand if it was normal to like members of the same sex. While the actor didn't look a thing like Kuroko except that they were both males with large eyes, he somehow represented their phantom all the same. Kuroko could practically feel everyone staring at him during this exchange and he sank further down into his seat until the moment passed. He wasn't _that_ naive, he needn't look any further than to Aomine-kun and Kise-kun to know it was perfectly normal after all– but he'd admit he hadn't been prepared to consider it in quite the combinations showing on the screen.

There was another moment of awkwardness when Hanamiya happened to be strolling past on the way to the lavatory and the scene showed the hero being more forcefully courted by a character that had a disposition stunningly similar to the Kirisaki Daiichi captain's. His eyes flitted between the screen and Kuroko as he stopped momentarily before he commented, "I'm not nearly that considerate, by the way." He laughed in amusement at the scowls he received and proceeded onward to his destination. He didn't stop on his return except to blow a teasing kiss at Kuroko.

That incident had unfortunate timing, however, as it coincided with the protagonist's throaty moan in response to what could only be described as his suitor's attempt to kiss the other into submission. Kuroko could feel his ears reddening even as his stomach gave a small flip that he would blame on turbulence.

It got even weirder, though, when the movie finished as Kuroko kept cautiously trying to ask for clarifications from his seatmates.

"Aomine-kun…?"

"No. I am not explaining a damn thing right now, Tetsu."

"Kagami-kun?"

"No way in fucking hell, Kuroko."

"But Kagami-kun…"

After the third such attempt was cut off in a similar manner, Kasamatsu had had quite enough of it. "Damnit, this is ridiculous! Kagami, trade seats with me. Aomine, switch with Takao. The two of you are making this so much worse than it needs to be. Kagami, you have no business having any interest in _anyone_ if you can't even handle having an adult conversation like this."

He paused before shooting Aomine a hard look as well. "And don't you smirk you jackass, you're just as bad. He's _your_ friend too! You better be more adept at this with Kise or there's no hope for you."

The two power forwards obeyed Kasamatsu's instructions with alacrity, grateful to avoid this situation for now but flushing at the reprimands they'd received. Kise patted Aomine's arm consolingly once he sat down – Kise'd been scolded enough by Kasamatsu to know it could really prick one's pride. As Kasamatsu sat next to Kuroko, who was miserably hunched down in his seat, he sighed inwardly. Even though he liked the younger male, Kasamatsu knew he wouldn't seriously be in the running and would instead try to act like an older brother. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he supposed somehow it was a senpai's duty.

Kasamatsu punched his shoulder lightly – far more gently than he would have with Kise, and spoke quietly. "They're being stupid, just ignore them. Now, what did you want to know?"

Kuroko pointed vaguely toward the screen. "Why did a flower keep falling when they were alone?"

Kasamatsu visibly cringed but manage to answer matter-of-factly anyway. "It's implying they were having sex."

Kuroko blinked and merely responded with a quiet "Oh." But then he nodded and thanked Kasamatsu for answering.

Takao snorted. He understood why Kasamatsu had made them switch seats, but he would bet that the well-meaning captain was already regretting his impulsive decision, although he'd handled that surprisingly well.

They settled down into a pattern for a while, with Kuroko asking a question and Kasamatsu answering. On occasion Takao would chime in with a supplemental response, but for the most part there was a communal agreement to let Kasamatsu handle it. The trio behind them was impressed with Kasamatsu's composure and it made them feel extremely immature for not being more receptive to Kuroko's questions.

However the silence that descended when Kuroko asked his next question was nearly palpable it was so intense. "Kasamatsu-san, is it acceptable to have multiple partners like that?" Those in the vicinity strained to hear how this would be answered.

Steely blue eyes closed for a moment and he exhaled sharply before answering. "It depends, Kuroko. Socially, that's not very accepted, but it works for some people in private. As long as everyone in the arrangement knows what's going on, that is. The characters in the movie though – what they were doing is part of a script. It definitely doesn't always work out like that."

Kuroko nodded before rephrasing his question, his voice unexpectedly timid. "I'm sorry; I didn't ask my question the right way. I know that the movie is fantasy. I suppose I was asking…it doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you if you like more than one person, does it?"

Takao handled this one. "No, it doesn't. It can be complicated and certainly those involved can get hurt, but it's not a bad thing by itself."

There was a pause as Kuroko seemed to be mulling this over. He gnawed his lower lip and wrinkled his forehead in thought; Kasamatsu began feeling increasingly anxious at whatever he might say next if it was inspiring this type of deliberation. Was he going to ask how multi-partner sex worked? Was he going to ask about the oblique references to tops and bottoms? God help him, Kuroko wasn't going to ask about the odd fixation with ' _milk'_ that several of the characters had shown, was he? He really didn't know if he could handle much more of this.

So when Kuroko finally spoke, many of their captive eavesdroppers were also tensed against whatever potentially devastating inquisitorial bomb he might drop. His voice was soft, not unusual on its own, but it contained a faintly dreamy undertone as he offered, "I think it's nice. That they all found a way to love each other, I mean. To know there can be room in your heart for more than one person, even if it's not always the same, that's just…really nice."

Kasamatsu closed his eyes in defeat. It was far worse than he'd feared. In addition to being a ferocious competitor and adorably clueless about relationships, Kuroko was also a damned romantic. Perfect. Of course he was.

When Takao snuck a look at Kuroko as he was speaking, he saw Kuroko had a small, wistful smile in place. And suddenly Takao had a terrible suspicion about why Kuroko hadn't answered him earlier. Kuroko was indeed interested in men…and the plural was precisely the problem.

Oh. This wasn't going to end well. And suddenly Takao felt a sharp pang of worry for his teammate; it would be very hard for Shin-chan to share Kuroko's affections if he were even in the running for them. Takao had to forcibly restrain himself from turning to look at Midorima, but he didn't really have to see his face to know it would be as rigidly composed as usual – unless you perhaps saw the slight tightening of his hands, you wouldn't think any of this concerned him in the least.

Kasamatsu had murmured some kind of noncommittal agreement, but it was clear from his body language he was not sure he should have bothered to embark on this attempt to help Kuroko. Takao agreed as well, what could he say?

Aomine, Kise, and Kagami were nearly synchronized as they looked at each other and then stared hard at the back of Kuroko's seat. Aomine, in a rare moment of compassion for his rival, leaned over Kise to murmur, "Cheer up Kagami. He hasn't done anything irreversible yet. You're not out of the running just because he liked the movie."

Kagami appreciated the sentiment, but he was trying hard not to panic over Kuroko's potential interest in a polyamorous relationship. Kagami liked Kuroko, but he didn't know if he could be like his counterpart from the film and share with so many others – because no matter how artistically it had been presented, that had been the end result.

Murasakibara and Himuro, in their seats a little further up, exchanged glances that were perfectly in sync. Himuro confirmed it with his quiet question, "Atsushi…what do you think?"

He ate another piece of candy before answering. "Kuro-chin won't run like in the movie, but he'll be cautious."

Liu snorted. "Aren't you competing against each other in this? Why would you help him?"

Murasakibara shrugged without completely taking his attention from his snacks. "It's not as simple as that. They," he waved vaguely toward the monitor to indicate the actors, "didn't have the wrong idea to work together to find out who was the front runner. Kuro-chin's too used to not being the center of attention to just immediately accept it now. But with a temporary alliance, there's a stronger chance to not get sideswiped by Aka-chin or Kagami from the beginning."

Himuro agreed. "From what Taiga's let slip, Akashi has a decided advantage here, but he's chosen not to use it so far. I can't imagine that with these sudden declarations and confrontations springing up all over the place that he will be content to continue avoiding the use of it."

Liu shook his head in disbelief and counted himself lucky that he hadn't been afflicted. Honestly, Kuroko was nice enough but this was getting out of control.

Meanwhile, at the front of the cabin, Akashi sat with a cryptic smile on his face. Noticing it, Imayoshi offered blandly, "An insightful film, wouldn't you agree?"

The Rakuzan captain turned and there was a flash in his eyes that was difficult to decipher – it was some combination of determination, irritation, and amusement. "I wouldn't put too much stock in it as a pattern for real life, but it certainly illustrates some potential concerns to be on the lookout for." Akashi was thinking in particular of how the characters that he would have discounted, those that matched Murasakibara and Aomine in particular, had managed to make significant inroads during their efforts to woo the on-screen "Kuroko." He would have to raise his guard, just in case.

Mayuzumi had found the film vastly entertaining. He, along with all others who knew the participants, had matched the on-screen versions with someone among their number on the plane. All Kuroko's teammates from Teiko, Kagami, Hanamiya, Himuro….and the list kept getting longer. He'd be more worried for the younger shadow if he didn't already have a sneaking suspicion of how it would turn out – and it wouldn't match the film's suggestion of his best friend being the victor. Mayuzumi had no doubt Kagami would manage to embarrass himself in the near future in his pursuit, but…his eyes strayed to the row in front of him, Mayuzumi wasn't going to rule out Akashi just because his eyes had changed back.

Still, they had right around seven hours left and an announcement was coming through the speakers about a special series of games that had been arranged in honor of so many of Japan's promising young talent being aboard. There was a polite, but clearly unimpressed silence in response to this information. Mayuzumi snorted quietly, he supposed that the "promising youth" meant them. His inexpressive eyes took in the busy preparations of the flight attendants, it was clear they had good intentions for this activity, but it couldn't be helped their group as a whole was undergoing a mass-romantic-crisis. He smiled briefly. Perhaps he should drop a word to the industrious staff that if they arranged the prize to be a seat change next to Kuroko for the remainder of the flight, they could expect far more enthusiastic participation.


	8. Chapter 8

Welcome to chapter 8, I am so sorry for the long delay – I just kind of got stuck. (#+.+;)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

On the Dangers of In-Flight Entertainment

Chapter 8

* * *

 

Kuroko was experiencing a sort of resigned numbness to the proceedings. He had heard the announcement and even abstractly understood what was going to occur, but his brain was refusing to seriously process any further upsets today. Besides, as he tried to reassure himself, they were in the air – what kind of games could they possibly play? Surely nothing that could make any of this worse, right?

He was wrong. Naturally.

It started off simply enough. The flight attendants announced the first game would be a quiz contest that everyone could play using the small remotes they distributed. The passengers were asked to type their names into the ID box to keep track of how everyone was doing and to sync their device for further participation. Questions would be announced and shown on the screens – you needed only to select one of the choices on your remote to answer. The winner earned points toward a school tally and for an individual ranking as well.

Kuroko was momentarily grateful. This turned the attention away from him for now, at least. He heard Aomine complain though, "Why are we being punished with a test? This isn't fun."

The questions were all general knowledge. A ranking was shown after every five questions – the early leaders were Hanamiya, Akashi, and Midorima. There were strong showings across the various teams and even from some of the civilian passengers that had joined in the contest, but the margin quickly widened to show Hanamiya and Akashi in a tie for a perfect score.

Kuroko wasn't surprised by how well Akashi-kun did and even smiled as he witnessed it. Unfortunately, the staff had not anticipated such uncompromisingly dominant players in this game. There was a noticeable edge of desperation in the voice of the attendant in charge of reading the questions as it became clear neither of the two strongest competitors were going to give ground. A few private wagers were arranged as to whether she would run out of questions before either of them answered incorrectly.

Finally, when many had grown bored and were no longer paying attention, and in a truly improvised move, the woman hosting this game said that Akashi and Hanamiya would simply both get the points for first place. Nobody needed to see their faces to know that neither Akashi or Hanamiya would be pleased with that decision, but they had little recourse for addressing their grievance.

It did, however, add interesting stakes to the next game.

Another announcer took over. First, they mentioned that the participants of this game had been pre-selected, by popular demand. While the exact nature of this game was not revealed, it was easy to guess who would be picked with that teasing phrase included. And indeed, it came as no surprise to see among the chosen delegates many familiar duos: Kuroko and Kagami, Kise and Kasamatsu, Himuro and Murasakibara, Aomine and Imayoshi, Midorima and Takao, Hanamiya and Seto, Akashi and Mayuzumi, all obligingly assembled at the front when their names were called. While the plane's slightly unsteady surface meant they were braced against the bulkhead wall, they followed instructions and turned to face those still seated.

Kuroko stood next to Kagami but he had not yet looked at his friend – at least, not directly. So he was surprised when Kagami tapped him on the shoulder. Kuroko looked up, and saw Kagami fighting off yet another blush. But Kagami asked only, "Are we okay?"

It brought a lightness to his chest. Kagami was his friend and Kuroko knew that no matter what awkwardness might arise in light of the unexpected events from this flight, Kagami was an important part of his life.

He offered a small smile. "Yes, Kagami-kun." It was all they needed, for now.

The stewardess ruffled a sheaf of papers in her hand teasingly. When the athletes turned to look inquiringly at her, she explained, "Since so many of you have been featured in national magazines, you have of course garnered quite a lot of fans. Many of them are sending their hopes and encouragement for your victory in this tournament. What you may not have known, is that one of the top teen magazines ran a poll of what questions they'd like to ask you and those questions were forwarded to us. This game is a test-of-courage; will you be brave enough to answer your fans' questions? You get a point for each one you answer – the one who can answer the most questions wins the game and adds to their team's standing. Currently, Akashi-kun and Hanamiya-kun are in first place and so are their schools by extension– will their standing hold? Let's find out!"

All of them stiffened. This had the potential to be a serious invasion of their privacy. A few misleading answers might be needed in order to keep their secrets to themselves.

Sensing their skepticism, the coordinator waved encouragingly. "We've added in a penalty portion as well. If you refuse to answer, you lose one point. Additionally, if others on the plane think you're not being truthful, you can be challenged using the answering devices we distributed in the first round. If a consensus is reached, you'll pay a forfeit designed by the fans in addition to losing a point. I would encourage all of you to be truthful, there are some…ah…interesting penalties in here."

The players and the audience all took notice of the way she said that. And suddenly everyone was looking at them with laser-like focus. Kuroko tried to make himself even less noticeable than usual, but he had a feeling the effort wasn't particularly effective.

"Who would like to go first?" She offered this as if there was a great demand. She was met with momentary silence.

Kise, who was used to getting asked invasive questions by interviewers, finally volunteered. "I will."

The announcer smiled and flipped to the page with questions for Kise. "Thank you, Kise-kun. Your first question: is it true you are dating the model you co-stared with in the perfume ad last winter?"

He laughed, this was easy enough. "That is not true. Haemi-san and I are friends but she has a boyfriend back in Korea." And since it was common enough knowledge that Kise was in fact dating Aomine, nobody contested him on that answer.

"One point to Kaijo. Who will be next?"

Nobody volunteered and so she took matters into her own hands. "Now now, this is all in good fun. Don't be so shy. We shall go in order then. Kasamatsu-kun, since you are next in line, your first question is: why doesn't your girlfriend come to cheer you on at games?"

He scowled and answered brusquely, "I don't have a girlfriend."

She arched an eyebrow, "Really, Kasamatsu-kun?" She turned teasingly to the spectators. "Is there a challenge to this answer?" The silence that ensued was painfully uncomfortable - very few of them didn't know of Kasamatsu's awkwardness in the romance department.

He spoke with clenched teeth, "Is that my second question? If not, perhaps it is the next person's turn."

She giggled but agreed. "Very well. Another point to Kaijo. Now, Midorima-kun, one of your fans wants to know if you find lucky items for your family members every day."

Midorima shook his head. "I let them know what the horoscope says, but on most days I leave them to abide by its dictates on their own." There was no objection from anyone when the hostess turned inquiringly toward the other passengers.

"One point to Shutuko." And the game continued. When it was Akashi's turn, many people were curious to hear what he would be asked.

"Ah, Akashi-kun. Someone wrote in: why aren't you ever pictured with a date at the many charity events your father's company holds?"

It wasn't entirely unexpected. Many of the questions had related to their love lives. Akashi stared at her for a long moment and they thought he might refuse to answer. However, if there was one thing they should all know about Akashi, it was that he refused to be the first to be penalized.

He temporized instead. "Those events are not meant to showcase my romantic inclinations; they are occasions for raising awareness for many worthy causes."

The announcer wasn't having it. "Akashi-kun, I will have to deduct a point if you do not more directly answer the spirit of the question."

He smiled, but it was a sharp, warning thing. "I am not yet able to claim the person who holds my interest for my own. When that changes, you have my assurance I will be delighted to bring them to as many of the galas and parties as I can convince them to attend." The look he gave her was everything polite and accommodating but somehow she had the distinct impression that pressing him further was not a very good idea.

"Ah, I see. Very well. Point to Rakuzan." It had not seemed as loaded a phrase with any of the others.

Hanamiya was asked how he overcame obstacles. He laughed and answered starkly, "I believe a direct route – straight through – is necessary. Sometimes the obstacle has to be demolished. And then it is only so much trash in the road."

The announcer looked a little discomposed by the intensity of his response but nodded and awarded him the point.

Soon enough it was Kagami's turn, "Kagami-kun, you have a fan that is interested in your connection to America. Will you try to play professional basketball there after high school?"

Kagami breathed a sigh of relief, he definitely got an easy one. "I would love to do that. But I'm not cutting out a chance to stay in Japan either. It would be an honor to play professionally in either place."

His response was duly noted and then it was Kuroko's turn. She looked up, confused for a moment, "Kuroko-kun did not join the contest?"

He stepped forward to get her attention, "I am here."

Predictably, she jumped. "Oh! I, ah, I didn't see you. Goodness me. Your question then." She was clearly startled and trying to regain her composure. "Right. Yes, ah, this is a sweet one. Could you tell us about your first kiss, please?"

Kuroko shook his head apologetically, "No, I'm sorry, but I can't answer that."

She tsked at him. "Kuroko-kun, are you sure? You will be the first to refuse to answer, placing Seirin at a disadvantage."

He blinked in surprise. "I am not refusing to answer. That _is_ my answer because I haven't had one." He paused. "Well, unless you mean on the cheek? But even then, it was probably when I was a baby and I don't remember it." Kuroko was a very literal person – if they asked about his first, he would indeed reach that far back.

She tilted her head in an inquiring manner as she looked at him. "Well I must say I am surprised, but…if there are no objections?" She paused to allow for someone to ring in, nobody did. Continuing with a small shrug, "I suppose it will thrill many young ladies to imagine having that honor. Point to Seirin."

Because he'd stepped forward a little so she could see him, Kuroko caught the motion of the other contestants turning to look at him in his peripheral vision. He was not really embarrassed about the status of his first kiss, but he was flustered that it seemed to be so interesting to everyone. He shuffled back into the line a little awkwardly, but he'd done his part. He didn't look up, but appreciated the fact attention was soon shifted away from him.

Aomine was next. "Ah, Aomine-kun, your question. Too Academy was eliminated earlier than expected from the Winter Cup, what did you take away from that experience?"

It was a brutal question, even though everyone could understand the impetus behind it. There seemed to be a collective freeze across the plane as everyone wanted to hear his reply.

He grimaced at the memory and shrugged. "I learned sometimes strength doesn't look like what you expect it to." He turned and glanced pointedly at Kuroko who smiled up at him a little sheepishly. "But it doesn't mean that's always the case, I'll win next time."

Things were going well, with all of them answering the questions, until it was Murasakibara's turn.

"Ah, Murasakibara-kun. Your question, "What do you like most about playing basketball?"

Unfortunately, Murasakibara was still not prepared to explicitly admit he liked the game. He frowned and grumbled, "I don't like anything about it. It's a hassle."

A buzzer sounded. The hostess looked at the monitor, matching the sound with the device. "Ah, yes, Kiyoshi-kun? You wish to challenge Murasakibara-kun's answer? Very well." She turned, speaking into the microphone. "If you would, please press 1 to support Murasakibara-kun's answer, please press 2 to support the challenge. If you have no opinion, please press 3."

A bar graph flew up on the screen, tabulating the results as they were pressed. 96% of the results were returned in favor of Kiyoshi's challenge. 1% supported Murasakibara's claim. 3% had no opinion.

The emcee laughed a little. "Well Murasakibara-kun, it seems you have been overwhelmingly outvoted. Would you like to change your answer or accept the penalty?"

Murasakibara was stubborn. Few could doubt that. He glared at her. "I don't care what the result says, my answer is true."

She nodded. "Penalty, then!" Her tone was a bit too chipper for anyone's liking. The stewardess flipped through to another section of the packet. "Ah yes. The penalty designed for you is that you will not be allowed snacks for one hour. That's not so bad, is it?"

It was like watching a slow motion horror show as the implications of that settled in for everyone. Heads turned with an unwilling fascination to see Murasakibara's reaction. The stillness was a fragile thing and it was broken easily as Yosen's center seemed to take on a threatening aura in response to her words.

Akashi's normally calm voice rang out in a clearly warning way, "Murasakibara, remember your actions reflect on the honor of your entire team and by extension all of us that participate. You would not wish to embarrass so many, would you?"

It didn't seem like that would be enough – would Murasakibara still listen to Akashi? Murasakibara was breathing harshly as he stared down at his former captain, considering whether or not he would obey. Akashi's eyes might both be red again, but the obvious censure left no doubt he was still a formidable opponent. Murasakibara turned a malevolent glare to the woman hosting and spoke irritably, "I accept the penalty."

Perhaps sensing that she was on dangerous ground, the attendant wisely moved on.

"Ah, well. Yes. Himuro-kun, your friendship with Kagami-kun is the subject of the next question. A fan wishes to know if you and Kagami-kun have ever argued over a girl?" She smiled eagerly as if anticipating a good anecdote on this matter.

Himuro smiled fleetingly and shook his head. When he answered, aware that they needed to diffuse the tension from Atsushi's turn, it was composed and diplomatic, "Our rivalry so far has always been with basketball. Taiga and I have long had different interests regarding the ladies and have never had cause to fight over one."

A nearly contagious snort seemed to take hold of those still seated. It was true, in a way. Kagami had expressed no interest in romance at all during his time in America – his brain had primarily been occupied by thoughts of food and basketball. This pattern had continued when he returned to Japan until he'd gradually made room for Kuroko. Himuro had a more developed history in the romantic area, but their preferences had not caused conflict so far. It was only now, with the subtle war that was just starting to brew around Kuroko, that the possibility of dissension had even crossed their minds. For the purposes of this question however, Himuro's statement was perfectly true.

Sensing she was missing something, the attendant turned searchingly to the spectators. "Does anyone wish to challenge Himuro-kun's answer…?" Nobody took her up on it.

With a shrug, she continued. The rounds went as expected – none of them were thrilled by this game, but it went smoothly enough until it was Kuroko's turn again.

Sending him an encouraging smile, the question was innocuous enough as it sailed through the air. "Kuroko-kun, please describe the person who would be your ideal type to date."

It was lucky that so many necks did not snap from the strain given the speed with which heads were turned.

Perhaps sensing danger, Kuroko did not immediately respond, his pause seeming all the more loaded given his current position. But with a small mental shake he answered, "Well, of course my preference would be someone that enjoys basketball," he smiled a little awkwardly, "but I haven't…well…I haven't thought about it in terms of a type."

It came as no surprise that the attendant was shaking her head even as Kuroko finished. "Can you expand on that a bit more, Kuroko-kun? If not, I am afraid I can't award the point."

"I don't know; I think he was fairly spot on. Kuroko's type must surely be as crazy about basketball as he is – I think everyone here could attest to that requirement." Whether mischief or sympathy motivated Takao was impossible to say, but his comment broke the tension with a scattering of surprised chuckles.

Her mouthed tightened in disapproval, the attendant still didn't look ready to accept this answer. But sensing the potential for rebellion from the participants, she wisely decided to allow it. "That makes your second answer that is not quite to the spirit of the game, Kuroko-kun, you must do a better job after this."

It was the wrong thing to say even if the intent was on the right track. Kuroko's friends were indignant on his behalf – not to mention they were annoyed by this invasive game themselves. And the slight flush of embarrassment on Kuroko's face may as well have signaled the start of a new team: it was nearly all of them versus the flight attendant. Few of them gave more than the barest possible answer after that and she could sense she had lost even the small willingness from most of them to participate.

Vengefully, she continued even though they were clearly not interested. When she finally got around to Mayuzumi again, she sent him an arch smile which was a warning all on its own. "Mayuzumi-kun, a reader noticed you have a similar style to Kuroko-kun and wished to know if you felt Akashi's leadership during the Winter Cup should have been better equipped to pit the two of you against each other?"

It wasn't his question yet Kuroko felt his chest tighten on behalf of both Akashi and Mayuzumi. He had wanted Seirin's basketball to win, of course he didn't regret that, but Kuroko didn't think it should be used against them now. The reader probably hadn't meant the question to be as provocative as it was, but the stewardess was showing her own spitefulness now that they had been collectively hindering her game.

Mayuzumi however looked relatively unperturbed. Mentally he was deriding the woman for allowing high schoolers to get the better of her anyway and he was more than ready to return to his book – this game had gone on long enough. He shrugged. "No."

She waited a moment but he was not saying anything else. It was, technically, a yes-or-no question after all.

The protest came, not from one of the others seated, but from among their own ranks. Hanamiya had a malicious smile in place as he raised his hand slightly. "Excuse me, I'm not sure if we are supposed to challenge each other's answers but that one is surely insufficient." The earnest tone was everything innocent and pious – you'd have to see the spark of mischief in his eyes to know he didn't mean this interjection to be harmless.

Sensing an ally, the stewardess nodded with something like vindication. Turning back to Mayuzumi she spoke again, "As the point was raised, your answer is not in the spirit of the game. This has been a poor showing from many of you, where is the sense of sportsmanship we expect from our representatives? Hanamiya-kun is one of the few who is demonstrating that quality."

Hanamiya was being lauded for sportsmanship? She couldn't have known the resentment that stirred for many of them, really she couldn't have, but it was as if the air was sucked out of the plane at that comment.

Some frustrated grumblings were heard but Mayuzumi laughed – a sound that startled those who heard it. Even Akashi looked at him with some consternation, he'd never heard so much as a chuckle out of Mayuzumi before.

"I didn't ask to play this game. Go ahead and assign a penalty if you want to. I really don't care and just want this to be over." He could not have sounded more bored if he'd tried.

The anger with which she flipped the page was definitely noticeable and her eyes eagerly scanned the list of penalties looking for something she could use against him. Deciding on an option she looked up. "Since you've graciously accepted a penalty is appropriate, I'm sure this will be an easy enough one for you. One of the suggestions is to sincerely compliment a rival; you have your choice of who that will be." It wasn't hard to figure out why she'd picked it – Mayuzumi wasn't known for his cordial personality and having to publicly praise someone wasn't something he'd relish.

You could practically _hear_ the force of Mayuzumi's eye roll at her pronouncement but he leaned forward to look down the line. Settling on Kuroko, he got out of line, walked the few paces to him and in a tone pitched so that the attendant could easily hear him he offered his compliment, "Let me take this opportunity to tell you that I don't like a lot of things about you but I _genuinely admire_ your ability to not throttle all the idiots you're surrounded by." Shooting a challenging look at the hostess his tone was unmistakably snarky as he asked, "Does that suffice?"

It was at this juncture that another stewardess came forward and after gesturing for her colleague to turn off her microphone, whispered something to her. They exchanged a few quick and heated arguments but at the end they were both wearing tight, forced smiles. The Q&A attendant left after switching her microphone back on to briefly thank the contestants for their participation. If her voice lacked sincerity, nobody really blamed her. A smattering of polite thank-you-for-the-game responses were heard, but they, too, lacked a ring of truth.

The new flight attendant turned on her microphone and with an encouraging nod, announced very welcome news. "It is time for a new game! We've awarded each school full points for the question and answer game, meaning that Rakuzan and Kirisaki Daiichi still have an advantage from their placement in the trivia event." She bobbed her head awkwardly, aware that the second game had not gone as well as they'd hoped. "Now that you've all gotten to know each other a bit more, we thought the third game should build on that trust! As you're all athletes, we expect you will have little trouble with this activity. First, Akashi-kun and Hanamiya-kun, would you come here please?"

They obeyed the summons, taking the few steps necessary to separate themselves from the lineup. The woman smiled brightly at them before turning to the spectators. "We'll have two teams, one led by Hanamiya-kun, and one by Akashi-kun. Each team will be trying to keep an inflated beach ball in the air the longest simply using their bodies to pass the ball to a teammate. Our spin on this game is that we will have the members of each team alternate down the aisles, so there is a possibility another team can interfere with a pass, or you might get confused and accidentally send the ball to an opponent, who could knock it down. Those still seated have the option to help if they wish, they can pass a ball or knock it aside, so those playing will need to keep in mind that there are potentially unforeseen allies and enemies as they strategize their move."

She paused and turned back to the two captains. "In order to keep team selection more interesting, you will be picking your teammates blindly. The others will get into a line behind you two; while you play rounds of rock-paper-scissors and the winner of each round gets to keep or pass on the person who is up for selection, but you can't look to see who it is. You do have the option to ask me one question about the person behind you – but it can't be their name or team. Obviously some of the participants are easier to identify than others, so pick your question carefully. If you pass, that person goes to the other team. If you keep them, then the other captain gets the choice of the next candidate. Got it?"

Akashi and Hanamiya nodded their understanding and she looked past them to the others that remained. "If you could shake up your current order and reform into a line, we'll get started." There was some awkward shuffling as they moved past one another into a new order, but they obeyed as best they could. Once they were done, she looked at Akashi and Hanamiya.

"When you're ready, go ahead with your first round."

They wasted no time. Akashi picked paper and Hanamiya picked rock, so the first selection went to Akashi. He asked, "Is this person's hair color black?"

She shook her head in the negative and Akashi nodded. "I will keep them."

It was Aomine and he laughed at Akashi for the result, but then he agreeably moved down the aisle at the attendant's direction.

Hanamiya had the next choice and he asked, "Are they taller than Akashi?"

She murmured a denial and Hanamiya passed on the candidate, sending Takao to Akashi's team.

They played the next round, Hanamiya picking rock and Akashi picking scissors.

Hanamiya kept this candidate after asking if they had ever been Akashi's teammate. The attendant frowned at him but Hanamiya had not asked what team they were currently on and so was not in violation. She affirmed they had been. He got Kise.

Akashi kept the next person in line but he did not ask a question. Himuro joined the lineup at his choice.

They kept going, one after the other, until everyone was divided. Hanamiya ended up with Kise, Murasakibara, Kuroko, Kasamatsu, Mayuzumi, and Seto. Akashi's team had Aomine, Takao, Himuro, Kagami, Midorima, and Imayoshi. Both teams were eyeing each other speculatively, it was difficult to say how this would turn out.

It took only a moment to retrieve two giant beach balls. One was a fluorescent pink and given to Hanamiya, the other was patterned in black and white swirls containing silvery glitter and handed to Akashi. Neither captain looked particularly enthused.

The attendant-turned-referee smiled briefly and then spoke through her microphone again, "Before we get started, we'd like to offer our thanks and gratitude to those spectating as you may accidentally become involved due to turbulence or a miscalculated pass. Your patience is appreciated. The rules of the game are simple. Hanamiya-kun and Akashi-kun will both pass to a teammate of their choice to start the game. From there, a teammate may pass to anyone else on their team, except for the person who just sent them the ball. For example, if Hanamiya-kun passes to Kasamatsu-kun, then Kasamatsu-kun may pass to anyone on his team except for Hanamiya-kun in that round. Whoever he passes to cannot pass back to Kasamatsu-kun, but they could pass to Hanamiya-kun. Violating this rule means you lose a point – including going into the negative, so be careful. If you pass to the other team by mistake or they take your ball out of play, the other team gets a point. The first team to five points wins."

The game started with Akashi passing to Takao who was opposite him, and Hanamiya sending his to Seto further down the line; the pace was cautious at first, with both teams testing their balance and the control needed to pass the ball to their designated target. Their natural inclinations toward stealing and aggressive maneuvers had to be moderated in these circumstances. But then, as those with competitive natures tended to do, they let their urge to win start to seep through. Passes got a little riskier as there was a concerted effort to knock the opposing team's ball out of line while still retaining their own sequence. There was a near miss as Murasakibara started to pass to Himuro by mistake but Kise hissed a warning at him and received an annoyed pass instead.

The hostess was keeping a close eye on the game, assisted by some of the other attendants. The first moment of conflict occurred when the beach balls were being passed and lightly touched – sending them away from their intended recipients. Kasamatsu was passing to Murasakibara, but it was pushed down too low for him to reach in time. Kuroko, not having heard a rule against moving, ducked out of place and bounced the bright pink sphere back into play by tipping it toward Mayuzumi, correctly guessing his teammate would have caught his movement as he saw Mayuzumi move into a ready stance. He'd forgotten that a pair of redheads on the opposing team might also be keeping track of him, and was chagrined to see Kagami move to intercept while Akashi returned their ball to safe play. Seto took this in stride and simply snuck his hand under the ball as Kagami thought to catch it and sent it back into play.

Kuroko didn't have time to return to his original spot before the next serves were put in motion and he was watching as Midorima and Takao exchanged a subtle nod, with Midorima's posture changing into a ready stance as Takao received the next ball. Having a good idea of what it meant, Kuroko prepared to move when the ball was next in Takao's possession. He wasn't sure he'd be able to pull this off given the difference between a beach ball and a basketball but it wouldn't hurt to try and as his team passed overhead, Kuroko ducked and intercepted the pass between Takao and Midorima, keeping the ball in his possession and earning his team the first point.

Kuroko smiled, pleased to have success, and returned the ball to the hostess for her to put back in play. As he walked cautiously by, Hanamiya leaned to murmur something to him, "So you're not always a purist for the rules? I'm so glad." His hand ghosted over Kuroko's back on the pretext of steadying Kuroko while they spoke, but the smile on Hanamiya's face had little to do with anything so wholesome.

He had nothing to say to that, Kuroko hadn't cheated and never would. He didn't answer, just moved away and back to his spot a little further down. He didn't notice the sharp glances that were sent his way – some of concern, others of suspicion, and one or two of admiration. Instead, Kuroko was keeping his attention on the game, almost surprised to find he was enjoying it. It was an interesting challenge, all of them were powerful athletes having to scale down their attacks given the lightness of the ball and the close confines they were playing in.

The next point was scored more quickly as Akashi intercepted a pass, having noticed that Murasakibara tended to pass to Kise if he hadn't received the ball from his Teiko teammate. This too was part of the game; taking advantage of how their alliances would shake out among friends and rivals alike. He smiled a little at Kise's pretended whine – knowing full well that it only meant Kise would be ready to return the favor.

There were a few stumbles along the way, especially when a passenger tried to head to the lavatory and accidentally knocked into Imayoshi on the way down and then Mayuzumi on the way back – both players managed to keep the balls in play but only just. In the end, nobody was surprised Akashi's team took victory. It wasn't that Hanamiya was an untalented player, far from it, but except for Seto, his teammates did not trust him and the residual suspicion meant their rhythm was not quite as synchronized as that on Akashi's team.

More importantly though, the game dispelled the lingering irritation that the question and answer round had inspired. Most of the players and spectators had cheered up tremendously by the end of the game. In that light, there was really no reason for Kuroko to have considered what might happen next and he'd been turning to allow someone past him when Takao's mischievous voice cut across the aisle.

"Tet-chan? Do you have something special in mind to congratulate Kagami on his win?"

Kuroko turned to look at Takao and from the mild confusion on his face it was apparent he didn't quite understand what Takao meant. But a quick glance at Kagami's flustered face as he sought clarification connected the dots. Takao's brief cackle of laughter indicated he was pleased with the small bit of trouble he'd instigated. Midorima's harsh reprimand to stop had little effect.

Although his expression did not change, Kuroko was a bit annoyed on Kagami's behalf. He was fairly used to receiving teasing of this type – and thanks today's rather trying events he had a better understanding why – but Kagami wasn't. Even though this was not exactly the same as a basketball game, Kuroko still wasn't going to leave Kagami alone in such circumstances. He inched down the aisle to Kagami's side, gave a small smile and congratulated Kagami. "It was a good game, Kagami-kun. Congratulations." The words were followed with a raised fist, an action they'd shared countless times and Kagami nodded before returning the fist-bump.

"It's good to win, but I hope we're done with these now." There was little doubt as to his sincerity but his wish was almost immediately denied as a chipper voice pipped over the announcement system.

"Congratulations to the participants on Akashi-kun's team! Each of you receives a point, meaning Akashi-kun and Rakuzan have a lead in the standings now." The news of this was met with good natured groans on the whole and Akashi's nod in acknowledgement of those words was somehow both gracious and matter-of-fact.

"For our last game, we'll be building on the stages already completed. In the first round, we tested your general knowledge as individuals. In the second, we tested your daring, patience, and what all of you knew of each other. The third round was meant to showcase your abilities to work together and to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances. And now at last we hope to bring this all together so that you all deepen the bonds of friendship and competition as you get ready to represent Japan in this tournament. Our last game will of course be _Who's Feeling Brave?_ "

Some confused murmurs were heard as this name was not familiar to all of them. The hostess smiled and simply asked for each of them to return to the front and form themselves into a line again. Since Kuroko had moved down to congratulate Kagami, he was last to reach the front for the last game. Due to their number, the line was curved and from his spot on the end he could see most of the other participants. They were each given a plastic poncho and told to put it on to protect their clothing – all obeyed.

They all listened attentively as a large basket with a few dozen eggs was brought forward. The hostess explained the rules. "Some of these eggs are raw and some are hardboiled. Each person will be given an egg and attempt to break it against the forehead of any person in the line. If you chose yourself; you get two points for bravery no matter if it is raw or hardboiled – but then it must be another person's turn to avoid an unfair point accrual. Choosing someone else means you must be strategic as they will get one point if it is a raw egg. If it is a hardboiled one, no points are awarded and it is the next person's turn. All participants that get the raw eggs on their faces will be named to the roster of the bravest for being a good sport and of course we'll allow access to the staff lavatory for you to clean up at the end of the game. The ponchos should keep your clothes clean though."

There were laughing cheers from the audience as they understood they were about to witness their teammates make fools of themselves – none of them were envious that they'd been excluded from this game.

The stewardess who had hosted the question and answer round was back, her tight-lipped expression indicating she still harbored ill-feelings about how her game had turned out. She was apparently in charge of doling out the eggs this time.

The woman who'd explained the rules called for their attention. "We'll start the game randomly." She pulled a small bag out in explanation. "All of your names are in here, I'll pick one of you to come forward to receive an egg." There was collective nodding and she made her pick moments later, extracting a small scrap of paper.

"Ah, Seto-kun, you have first pick."

His smile was just this side of evil as he stepped forward and took his egg from the woman who'd hosted the interview game. He turned to survey the line, clearly trying to rile their sense of anxiety as he seemed to consider who he'd test the egg on. Making his selection, he stopped in front of Kise and smashed the egg on his forehead – using perhaps a bit more force than was strictly called for. He was disappointed; the egg was a hardboiled one. Kise narrowed his eyes but didn't waste time accusing Seto of anything.

Kise had next choice; he grinned and went for Kasamatsu. His captain glared at him but allowed the test – it broke. His growled, "You'll pay for that once we get back to the gym, Kise" drew laughter from many and an unrepentant wink from Kise.

Kasamatsu's name was marked with a point and he went for Aomine. The egg stayed whole and Aomine smirked at the Kaijo player's poor luck. Aomine of course picked Kagami and scowled when his didn't break. Kagami tried Aomine in return and gave sharp grin in triumph as the egg ran down his rival's face. It was worth sacrificing the point to see Aomine with egg on his face. It was Aomine's turn again but he ignored Kagami in favor of Imayoshi – stating innocently, "Well now we have two points" when his teammate was similarly afflicted by the egg breaking.

Imayoshi took a moment to wipe his glasses against the plastic so he could see more easily. He picked Hanamiya, who laughed when the egg remained intact. Hanamiya held his egg for a moment as he looked down the line. His eyes rested on Akashi but rather surprisingly, he chose to crack it against his own forehead – he received two bravery points even though it was a hardboiled one.

If you weren't watching closely, you might have missed the look of challenge that went between Hanamiya and Akashi. They had been the two highest contenders for most of the activities, Hanamiya's action bringing his deficit to within a single point now. Neither of them liked to lose.

Since Hanamiya had chosen himself, the hostess pulled another name from the bag to restart the round. Himuro's name was called and he offered a gentle smile before asking Murasakibara to lower his head a little. Murasakibara looked annoyed but complied and when the egg stayed whole asked, rather unsurprisingly – "Can I have this?" His commitment to ensuring an adequate snack supply was commendable.

The hosted blinked disconcertedly, but allowed it. Murasakibara pocketed the egg before going to pick another. His eyes went to Midorima, who stiffened in response but Murasakibara was undeterred and nodded with satisfaction when it broke over the stuffy shooting guard.

Naturally, Midorima retaliated against Takao – whose laughter even as egg broke over him showed he was having too much fun to care. Takao took his chance against Kuroko and despite its remaining whole, was still smiling and in good spirits.

Kuroko went to the stack and accepted the egg the woman held out. He looked at the other participants thoughtfully, trying to decide what would be best. Seeing that nearly everyone had had a turn at this point, he gave a mental shrug and chose himself; sighing softly when the yolk ran down his face. It rather depended how you viewed the outcome as to whether his gamble had paid off or not. Still, he'd earned two points and it would wash off.

Mayuzumi was summoned next and he didn't bother wasting time. He walked straight to Akashi and shrugged philosophically when his egg proved to be hardboiled.

By happy circumstance, Akashi's name was then the last to be called and he held the egg with consideration. His obvious choice should be Mayuzumi in retaliation; if the egg broke his team would win the point anyway. His eyes held a flash of something suspicious before he drew the egg up to his own forehead. He was safe – no yolk showed.

The hostess clapped to gain their attention and the smile in her voice was evident. "Thank you everyone for your participation. If those who were caught with a raw egg would make their way to the staff area, we'll work on getting you all cleaned up while we tabulate the overall scores. If you were spared, please return your poncho and then you may take your seats."

There was some awkward shuffling as they tried to follow directions and exchanged good-natured teasing as to the results of the game. Kuroko was at the end of the line behind Aomine. The line moved briskly since most of them simply had to wash their faces and stuff the soiled ponchos into a bag designated for that purpose. Aomine and Kuroko spent the time chatting about mindless things until Aomine was next in line. Suddenly realizing something, Kuroko blinked – Kagami had rather aimed more for Aomine's hair than his forehead. Getting Aomine's attention, Kuroko offered, "Do you need help, Aomine-kun?"

Aomine grinned but declined. "You're going to have your own worries on that end, Tetsu. Thanks though, I can manage."

True to his word, Aomine was in the lavatory for only a few minutes. He emerged with damp hair and sage advice, "Leave the poncho on while you wash your hair, Tetsu."

Kuroko rolled his eyes but thanked Aomine and took his own turn. The staff lavatory was bigger than those allotted for passengers. Kuroko noted a selection of water bottles and decided to use them to rinse his hair since the space in the sink was limited. There was a small packet of soap and Kuroko awkwardly dampened his hair, feeling a combination of egg and the lingering remnants of the hair styling products from earlier as he went. He grimaced, not liking the sensation.

It wasn't the easiest thing he'd ever done, but he managed a fair effort at washing his hair in the sink and the used a small hand towel from the stack available to get some of the water out. Once he'd removed the poncho and made a half-hearted effort at combing his hair into order with his fingers, he left. He had little doubt it would dry into messy spikes but it wasn't something he could control.

Akashi was waiting for him outside the door. Kuroko closed it behind him, tilting an inquiring look in Akashi's direction – he'd managed to escape any damage and so didn't need to use the facilities.

"Did you know your egg was raw, Kuroko?" Akashi's voice held mild curiosity.

Kuroko shrugged. "No. I didn't want to risk losing more points though." His eyes widened briefly before he understood and thought back to Akashi's willingness to tempt fate with an egg against his forehead. "You knew your egg was a hardboiled one, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi nodded. "Hanamiya did too. We held ours longer to test it – there's a difference in the feel. I am surprised you didn't know; you have a fondness for hardboiled eggs as I remember it."

A slightly self-deprecating look crossed Kuroko's face and his reply acknowledged the truth of that. "I do. I just didn't think of it." He shrugged, not bothered by the results. "Congratulations, Akashi-kun. I know it's not official yet, but it seems you win today, yes?" He held out a hand in mirror of their ending of the Winter Cup, and Akashi's eyes flickered to his face.

Akashi reached to accept the gesture but rather than simply shake Kuroko's hand, he tugged Kuroko forward and caught him after the minor stumble. Kuroko blinked up at Akashi but didn't pull back, trusting him to have a reason for this unexpected occurrence. He leaned forward so that there was barely any space between them and he could smell the clinical soapy smell that now clung to Kuroko's hair.

Even though they might be discovered at any moment, Akashi moved his lips to just above Kuroko's ear. "I haven't won what I really want yet, Kuroko." He ignored his own mental protests - it was not the right moment – and certainly not the right place as an airplane lavatory did not make for an especially suitable backdrop in his mind. Instead of acknowledging his own advice, Akashi turned his head and kissed Kuroko; and even though Kuroko was surprised and tensed for a moment, he found himself relaxing into it. Akashi kissed the same way he did everything else; and Kuroko was swept up into the assured, charismatic phenomenon that comprised Akashi's kisses. Unlike earlier, when Akashi had pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, this time his intention was not mere affection. Even lacking experience, Kuroko could tell there was something more here, something that wavered between a promise and a claim.

Neither of them noticed the brief wave of the curtain as it settled back into place, or heard the quiet footsteps retreating.

Akashi released him after what seemed only heartbeats – granted, they were occurring rather more quickly than normal - but he didn't step back. He threaded a few fingers through Kuroko's dampened hair and a small smile took hold. "You look rather shell shocked Kuroko. I'll hope it is a compliment." He hadn't made it a question but Kuroko heard it as one anyway.

Kuroko had no way to know that with his mussed hair, bright eyes, and flushed expression he was the picture of temptation. What he did know was that Akashi had changed the rules again and he didn't entirely know what to make of it.

It took Kuroko a moment to find his voice and when he did, it was a simple enough reply, "You are always competitive, Akashi-kun."

The sound that escaped Akashi was something like a chuckle – if it had been dipped in velvet. "Yes, I suppose that is true. A topic for another time, then." Hearing the murmur of conversation from flight attendants as they approached the staff area, he gestured forward to indicate they should leave. Nodding, Kuroko went ahead and made his way down the aisle, unaware he was still a bit disheveled and that it would cause some consternation from his seatmates when he returned.

As Akashi retook his seat, Mayuzumi sent a searching glance his way, having tracked Akashi's progress back once he'd cleared the staff area. Akashi had emerged after a relatively short span of a time, but Mayuzumi's eyes were too observant to have missed Kuroko's exit and the state in which he'd departed. Well then, it would seem that perhaps Kuroko would have a different answer now, should they hold another round of personal questions and answers that is. Mayuzumi idly drummed his fingers against his thigh as he calculated the remaining flight time. They had about five and a half hours left; the games had taken up a good wedge of time. They were still waiting for the announcement of the winner even though it was obvious Akashi would be named in that honor. Still, a lot could still happen. He supposed it would depend how many people were watching for Kuroko to pass and took note of him – it was sure to raise the hackles of at least a few of the potential admirers at least. A brief smile shot across his face as he wondered how Kagami would react when Kuroko got back to his seat– and to what he might attribute the cause.


End file.
